


'A Certain Romance', A Lunarry series of romances

by Headcanonsandmore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Ron Weasley, Crushes, F/M, First Crush, Insecurity, Mutual Pining, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 09:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17999273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headcanonsandmore/pseuds/Headcanonsandmore
Summary: Set in an alternative universe where Harry Potter met Luna Lovegood in his fourth year rather than his fifth year at Hogwarts, this series follows the two teenagers as they slowly begin to notice each-other as more than just-friends. A somewhat slow-build up over several short chapters, with plenty of fluff and a little bit of angst. Romione is a side-pairing. (Rated T to be safe)





	1. 'Not My Friend Just Yet'

A little while before the Yule Ball, Professor McGonagall and the other heads of houses marched the entirety of their houses (fourth year and upwards, although a number of younger students had elected to join as well) into large classrooms on the second floor. The chairs and desks had been cleared away, and the class dumped their bags near the door.

Professor McGonagall talked to the Gryffindor students about the Yule Ball, and that they would be practicing dancing for the next few hours, so as to prepare for the Yule Ball. She hovered her wand over a wizarding wireless set, and a mid-tempo song began playing, it’s sound magically amplified around the room.

The Gryffindor students paired up together. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville found themselves at the back of the class, and left without partners. Sniggering, Harry gave Hermione a nudge, so that she stumbled forward into Ron. Both of them blushed scarlet.

‘Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, will you kindly start moving?’ barked McGonagall, bustling over to them, but a sly smile was playing on her lips.

Ron (ears burning) put Hermione’s hand in his, and the other on her waist (Hermione’s face bypassed scarlet and turned purple). The two of them began to weave in-between the other dancing students. Fred, who was dancing with Lee Jordan, wolf-whistled at them.

‘P-professor?’ mumbled Neville at McGonagall ‘I don’t have a partner.’

‘I see, Longbottom.’ said McGonagall, turning to face him ‘And I suppose you don’t want to dance with Potter?’

Both Neville and Harry shook their hands.

Professor McGonagall let out a sigh of exasperation.

‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I’ll see if there is anyone free from the other houses.’

She ducked out of the classroom, and Harry could hear her conversing with both Professors Sprout and Flickwick. Harry’s stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch; maybe Cho Chang was without a partner as well.

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil danced past the two boys, both of them giggling and with slight blushes on their cheeks.

McGonagall returned briskly, followed by two students. To Harry’s slight disappointment, Cho Chang was not one of them.

‘Abbott; you pair up with Longbottom,’ barked Professor McGonagall, as the Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott marched in behind her. Hannah gave Neville a nervous smile, and the two of them (faces a delicate pink) began to awkwardly move in rhythm.

‘Potter,’ said Professor McGonagall briskly, and Harry turned his head ‘You will pair up with Miss Lovegood.’

‘Hello, I’m Luna,’ said the girl absentmindedly.

Harry’s eyes widened. Luna Lovegood had long dirty-blonde hair, enormous grey eyes that didn’t seem to blink much, and appeared to be wearing a pair of radishes as ear-rings.

‘Er-’ Harry started, direly wishing that Cho Chang had been the Ravenclaw McGonagall had selected.

‘Come along, you two!’ said Professor McGonagall briskly.

His stomach wilting, Harry awkwardly held out his hand, and Luna grabbed her fingers around his. Praying that his hands weren’t that slimy, Harry moved his other hand to Luna’s waist and the two of them began to move in step.

‘Sorry about this,’ Harry muttered, slightly embarrassed.

‘Oh, it’s fine,’ said Luna, smiling widely ‘I did elect to join the dancing, but no-one seemed to want to partner with me.’

Harry felt a little swell of anger in the region of his stomach. He knew how it felt to be left out of things; Dudley had seen to that at their primary school.

‘That’s horrible,’ he said, and he meant it.

‘It’s alright.’ Luna replied ‘I don’t mind dancing on my own, but I’m a third year, so I’m not expecting to go anyway.’

Was it just him, or did Luna’s smile look a little sad? Harry felt his stomach burn with guilt; he had been obsessing over asking Cho to the ball for weeks, but Luna wasn’t even _expecting_ to go, and she had still elected to try dancing, only to get left out by everyone in her house.

The two of them passed Ron and Hermione. Harry gave them a knowing grin. Ron’s ears weren’t quite so red, but Hermione seemed unable to look Ron in the eye, and was staring resolutely at his chest, her face still purple.

‘You okay, Hermione?’

Hermione shot Harry a look that screamed ‘ _do not ruin this for me, Potter!_ ’, and nuzzled her face further into Ron’s jumper. Harry saw Ron startle slightly, and a subtle red blush appeared under his eyes.

Luna giggled. Harry thought that is sounded really good; like a bird calling after a heavy rain-storm. Her cheeks creased into dimples.

_Thump._

Harry let out a slight gasp. It felt like his heart had pounded painfully against the inside of his ribs. Luna looked at him, puzzled.

‘Are you alright, Harry?’

‘Y-yeah,’ he mumbled. ‘I’m fin-wait, how do you know my first name?’

‘Oh; just the look on your face,’ she said, smiling.

Harry stared at her, his stomach knotting itself. Luna Lovegood was a weird girl, and…he quite liked that.

‘Hi Harry,’ said Dean, as him and Seamus passed the two of them, slowing stepping in rhythm ‘Who’s this? Friend of yours?’

Harry smiled slightly as they passed. _Not yet_ , he thought, _but I would certainly like her to be…_


	2. 'A Nice Evening'

_‘I just can't look it’s killing me_

_And taking control_

_Jealousy, turning saints into the sea…’_

Harry gloomily stared over the Great Hall. There were still many couples dancing, but he only looking at one. Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory; who were swaying closely together in time with the song.  Harry couldn’t help but notice that their eyes kept meeting each other.

Harry’s stomach lurched unpleasantly, like he was stuck in a particularly unpleasant dream.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ron glaring over at Hermione and Viktor Krum, who were dancing frenetically to the music. Ron looked like he wanted to kick something. No doubt that ‘something’ was a Bulgarian seekers’ head.

Harry didn’t recognise the song that the Weird Sisters were playing, but it seemed to sum up his current mood pretty much; lots of jealousy.

With a great crescendo, the song finished, and the dancing couples applauded.

‘Well, this is fun.’

Harry turned. Parvati Patil was sat on his other side, looking irritable. He rubbed his neck guiltily.

‘Sorry,’ he mumbled, ‘Would- would you like to dance again?’

Parvati gave a slight snort.

‘What, and spend the entire time watching you moodily looking over at Cho and Cedric?’ she spat, rolling her eyes. ‘No thanks.’

Harry felt a slight blush appear on his cheeks. _Was he being that obvious?_  

‘Sorry,’ he repeated.

Parvati gave a slight shrug, but softened a little when she saw Harry’s miserable expression.

‘It’s okay,’ she said, a little less harshly. ‘I suppose I can see where you’re coming from.’

She jerked her head towards another part of the dance floor, where Harry could just about see Lavender Brown applauding the band, having just finished dancing with Seamus Finnigan.

‘I didn’t know you fancied _Seamus_!’ Harry exclaimed, very shocked.

Parvati gave him a slightly confused look; then rolled her eyes again.

‘Not _quite_ what I mean, but…whatever.’

‘Excuse me, everyone; can I please have you attention please?’

Harry looked up to the stage; where, standing in front of the band, was the twins’ friend Lee Jordan. He was smiling cheerfully, and was holding a large wooden bucket. Harry guessed, being the Quidditch commentator, Lee had been asked by the teachers to do the announcing for this.

‘If everyone is ready, we’ll begin the celebrity dance prize-draw!’

Harry tried not to groan. McGonagall had told him earlier about this; there was a prize-draw for a dance with the ‘celebrities’ present, all in aid of charity. Unfortunately, Viktor Krum and Harry himself were the only ‘celebrities’ who had put their names into the draw. He wouldn’t have normally put his name forward, but McGonagall happened to have mentioned that the proceeds would be going to St Mungo’s Orphanage. He couldn’t really say no after that.

The assembled students all turned excitedly to face the stage.

Lee pushed his hand into the bucket (which, Harry presumed, held all the assembled student’s names) and brought out a piece of paper. He unravelled the paper and spoke to the assembled crowd.

‘And the student who will be dancing with Viktor Krum is…Padma Patil!’

There was a smattering of polite applause. Padma Patil stood up, gave Ron a slightly dismissive look, and marched over to the stage.

Harry felt his stomach knot tightly; _was there a chance that he would end up drawing Cho Chang?_

Lee reached into the bucket, and pulled out another piece of paper.

‘And the person who will be dancing with Harry Potter is…Luna Lovegood!’

There was an outbreak of giggling from the Ravenclaws in the audience. Harry felt a lot of heads turning his way and smirking at him, which he found a little rude.

Harry tried to stop his heart filling with disappointment. He had met Luna before (during the dance practice lessons for the Yule Ball), and they had got along quite well. But he still would have liked to have been paired with Cho, as rude as that seemed to Luna.

‘Er, where is Luna?’ asked Lee, looking confused. Harry gave a quick scan of the assembled students; there was no sign of her.

He saw Professor Flitwick give a great sigh, and hurry out of the Great Hall. In a few minutes, he returned, followed by Luna Lovegood, who (as usual) looked like she had wandered in by accident.

‘She put her name into the draw, but didn’t realise she wouldn’t be coming, being a third year.’ Flitwick muttered to Lee, as he neared the stage. Luna came to stand by Harry.

‘Er; hi,’ said Harry, awkwardly. Luna was wearing her Gurdyroot earrings, which were drawing a lot of sniggering from the assembled on-lookers.

‘Hello, Harry,’ chirped Luna in a sing-song voice, grinning vaguely.

‘Now, if everyone’s normal partners could pair up, that would be great,’ said Lee.

_Hang on_ , thought Harry absentmindedly, _if Krum’s partner was Hermione, and Padma’s was Ron, then…oh, **this** should be interesting…_

Ron’s face had gone bright red, and Harry could see Hermione’s cheeks going pink. He smiled to himself, and nudged Ron in the back so that he stood up. Ron gave Harry a slightly helpless look and awkwardly wandered over to Hermione.

‘Oh, Parvati,’ called Lee, realising that, since Luna had no partner, there were one person short. ‘Would you like to come and sing with the band? I’ve heard you’re quite good.’

Parvati nodded, and trotted onto the stage, shaking hands with the members of The Weird Sisters, one of whom handed her a set-list.

_‘Daylight turns to moonlight, and I'm at my best_

_Praising the way it all works and gazing upon the rest….’_

Harry vaguely remembered the song from his childhood. The memory seemed to contain Uncle Vernon angrily yelling at the radio about ‘well-dressed socialists’.

Smiling slightly at the memory, Harry took Luna’s hand and led her onto the dancefloor. Luna wasn’t wearing dress-robes like everyone-else; instead, she was wearing a pair of very old and very tattered denim dungarees, which were covered in what looked like an explosion in an art exhibition. On her feet were a pair of scruffy muggle plimsolls.

Harry fought back a good-natured chuckle. Luna could hardly be accused of being boring. He could only imagine what would happen if Aunt Petunia saw her.

_‘The cool before the warm, the calm after the storm_

_Oh the cool before the warm, the calm after the storm_

_I wish to stay forever…’_

Luna swayed slowly in time with the music, making lights from above dance in her enormous grey eyes.

Harry grinned, feeling far less nervous than he’d been earlier.

‘Sorry about having to pull you in at the last minute, Luna.’

The Ravenclaw smiled. ‘It’s alright. I was hoping I might end up dancing with you, just like at the practice.’

Harry felt his face blush a little.

‘Er, thanks.’

‘You are most welcome.’ Luna’s cheeks dimpled, as she replied. ‘I hope I’m not too much of a bad dancer.’

Harry shook his head. ‘Nah, you’re good. Although I don’t think I’m much of a judge on the matter.’

Luna nodded solemnly.

‘Very wise. Dancers have a remarkably short lifespan in the wizarding world. My father thinks it’s a Ministry conspiracy.’

Harry nodded in polite agreement, having no idea what Luna was talking about. He wasn’t complaining though.

From nearby, Harry could hear the sounds of Ron and Hermione talking, as they danced a few feet away.

‘I’m- I’m sorry, Hermione.’ Ron was saying, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I shouldn’t have ignored you earlier.’

‘That’s okay, Ron.’ Hermione said, smiling up at him. ‘For my part, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I was going with.’

‘No problem.’ Ron paused, thinking. ‘Hang on; why didn’t you tell me?’

Hermione looked down at her feet, blushing slightly.

‘I thought you’d make fun of me.’

Ron reached out and touched Hermione’s cheek with his hand. Hermione’s eyes darted upwards, and Ron seemed to realise what he was doing. He hurriedly dropped his hand.

‘I’m sorry you didn’t feel comfortable telling me.’ He muttered, the tips of his ears turning red. ‘For the record, I wouldn’t have. Er, made fun of you, I mean.’

Harry chuckled. His two friends were so oblivious to what was going on between them. Hopefully, they could work things out.

‘Enjoying yourself, Harry?’ Luna asked, as they danced.

Harry nodded.

‘Yeah. I’m just glad Ron and Hermione have made things up between them.’

‘So am I. They clearly care about each other a lot.’

Parvati did not return from the band after the song finished, so Harry and Luna continued to dance.

The next song began to play;

_‘And I said maybe…you’re gonna be the one that saves me…’_

Harry had never the song before. He guessed it was a muggle song, but (like most of the music from the evening so far) it seemed somewhat anachronistic.

Harry felt a little uncomfortable dancing to a love song, but Luna didn’t seem to mind. If anything, her smile broadened and she drew herself slightly closer to Harry.

‘Reminds me of a lullaby my mother used to sing.’

‘R-really?’ Harry stammered, feeling his face burn a little from the increased intimacy.

Luna nodded. Harry briefly considered asking Luna more about her mother, but decided against it. Besides, Luna was now resting her head on his chest, and Harry didn’t want her to move.

She really was an interesting girl.

The song ended, and Luna took her head off Harry’s chest (Harry felt a slight twinge of regret).

Harry’s attention was diverted though, as he saw the events playing out nearby, where Ron and Hermione were standing, having just finished dancing. Viktor Krum was standing nearby, a somewhat more cheerful Padma Patil next to him.

Ron, blushing furiously, reached out and kissed Hermione quickly on the hand. As he hurriedly left, Hermione stared after him, her face turning redder by the second.

As Viktor Krum began to dance with her again, Hermione seemed disinterested, and her eyes kept landing on Ron, who was sat chatting with Neville and Ginny. Viktor Krum gave a little dejected sigh.

When they had all stopped dancing, the crowd slowly dispersed out into the entrance hall. Krum shook Hermione by the hand, and left to go to the Durmstrang ship. Hermione stared after him briefly, before walking back up the stairs, where Ron was waiting; a curiously shy expression on his face.

Parvati seemed to have wandered over to where Lavender and Seamus were standing with Neville and Dean. Harry guessed she probably wasn’t all that fussed about walking back with him, and he couldn’t say he really blamed her.

Hit by a sudden thought, Harry suggested that he walk Luna back to Ravenclaw Tower. Luna nodded happily, and the pair of them began to walk up the grand staircase.

Harry had never been nearby Ravenclaw tower before. He had mused occasionally on where it was, usually after he had seen Cho leaving the great hall in the evening.

Speaking of which, Harry could hear Cho talking to Cedric Diggory on the steps behind them. Harry gritted his teeth, feeling a little sorry for himself. But Luna gave him a small smile, and his uneasiness began to clear.

She was alright, Luna, Harry mused to himself. So what if he hadn’t gone with Cho? He’d still had a decent time.

Harry was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice Luna had stopped until she called his name.

Turning, he saw that Luna was standing nearby a tall staircase, which presumably led up to Ravenclaw tower.

‘Er,’ Harry mumbled, feeling awkward again. ‘Thanks for the dance.’

Truly a man of great courage, Harry’s brain groaned, reeling with embarrassment.

Before Harry could say anything else, though, Luna threw her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. Her long blonde hair seemed to smell of vanilla, and her skin felt soft and warm against Harry’s robes.

‘I really enjoyed myself, Harry!’ Luna chirped, smiling at him. ‘Thank you so much!’

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she cast a backward glance at Harry, before she retreated up the staircase towards Ravenclaw Tower.

Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower, a warm glowing feeling in his stomach, and a sweet little smile on his face.

Neville, Dean and Seamus were playing exploding snap in the common-room, but Harry waved them all good night and climbed up the staircase to the boys’ dormitory.

Ron was already in bed and wearing his maroon pyjamas; his awful-looking robes were stuffed unevenly back into the trunk below his bed. Harry made a mental note to buy Ron some new dress-robes for his next birthday. 

‘You had a good evening, mate?’ Harry asked, as he climbed into bed.

‘Er, yeah,’ Ron mumbled, his eyes still red. Harry couldn’t help noticing that Ron was tentatively touching the same spot on his left cheek. Harry made another mental note to ask Hermione how _her_ evening had gone. ‘Not too bad. Yourself?’

‘Not too bad.’ Harry said, pulling his hangings over his bed. ‘Night…’

‘Night, mate.’

Harry took off his glasses, and climbed under his sheets, smiling broadly. _It had been a nice evening after all…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	3. 'Beneath The Trees'

A cool breeze swept through the grounds, pushing the hair out of Harry’s eyes. He was walking through the grounds on his own; having decided to use the nice weather as an excuse to get out of the castle, and away from the stares of the other students. He didn’t know whether they were intrigued, scared or irritated by him, but he didn’t much care. He was far away from the castle now, stood on a grassy bank on the opposite side of the Great Lake.

The collar of his shirt was briefly caught by the wind, lightly tapping his face. Harry knocked it away, the white cotton material contrasting with his ochre skin.

It had been a few days since he had been discharged from the hospital wing. A few days since…

The memories of the third Triwizard task swirled in Harry’s mind. Almost unconsciously, he looked down at his wrist. The cut from which Wormtail had drawn his blood had healed thanks to Madam Pomfrey, but he could feel it still, like a phantom pain. He doubted it would ever truly leave.

Harry shook his head, his heart giving a dull thud against his chest. Squinting his eyes against the sun’s harsh rays, he could distantly see Ron and Hermione sat underneath some trees on the lawns just outside the castle entrance. Thinking that maybe he should go and join them (although he felt somewhat hesitant to join them), he began to slowly walk forward, his shoes dragging against the blades of grass.  

‘Hello, Harry,’ chirped a familiar voice from nearby.

Harry jumped slightly and spun round. Luna Lovegood was sitting cross-legged nearby on the grass, her dirty blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze.

‘Oh, hi,’ said Harry, rather lamely. He found it a bit odd that he had almost walked straight past her without seeing her. The thought made him feel a little angry at himself for some reason.

‘Going for a walk?’ she asked; her large grey eyes inquisitive.

Harry nodded. Luna was wearing her usual necklace of butterbeer corks, as well as her dirigible-plum earrings. She wasn’t wearing her school robes, but instead a pair of muggle dungarees and a pale-pink jumper, which clashed beautifully with her hair. 

‘Would it be alright if I joined you?’

‘Sure,’ Harry mumbled. He hadn’t planned on being around other people, but somehow he didn’t think he would mind walking with Luna. She had a curious but subtle energy about her that he found strangely calming.  

Luna climbed to her feet, and they set off slowly.

They didn’t really walk in any particular direction, but they found themselves being drawn to the shores of the Great Lake. The grounds were surprisingly quiet considering the nice weather, although Harry could see a few people on the other side of the lake.

They stopped nearby a small clump of trees just in front of the lake. They were ringed in a small semi-circle, and the branches moved lazily in the breeze.

Luna sat down neatly on the grass under one of the trees.

She patted the ground next to her, and Harry obliged, resting his back against the trunk of the tree behind him.

They sat in silence for a while. Luna began to make a daisy-chain necklace from the flowers around her, and Harry watched her. It was very peaceful, watching the giant squid loll around on the surface of the water, and hearing the birds calling to one-another.

Luna tied the completed daisy-chain necklace around her wrist. The petals contrasted nicely with her pale skin.  

‘You know, when I first met you,’ she said, now playing with a tuft of grass at her feet. ‘At that dance thing before the Yule Ball. I remember thinking that you reminded me of myself a lot.’

‘Er, really?’ asked Harry, a little confused.

‘Yes,’ Luna replied, raising her head to look at Harry. She had a slightly-far-away look in her eyes, as if she was imagining being back in that large classroom used for the dance practice for Gryffindor house. ‘I wasn’t sure why at first, but I realised that it was because you had…lost someone, too.’

Harry didn’t really know what to say. Luna seemed to realise this.

‘My mother,’ she said simply, looking down at her feet again. Harry thought he saw Luna’s lips tremble slightly as she spoke.

‘I’m… I’m sorry,’ Harry mumbled, feeling a bit useless. He had never been much good at talking about death, especially when it concerned other people. He supposed it was because the Dursleys had never told him much about his parents’ deaths when he was a child. Or maybe it was because most of his friends at Hogwarts had never had the same thing happen to them.

‘That’s alright,’ Luna raised her head again, and looked Harry in the eye. ‘I suppose- when I first met you- I also felt sorry for you.’

‘For me?’ Harry asked, perplexed. ‘Why?’

Luna smiled a little sadly at him. 

‘I often get judged by people who don’t understand me,’ she said, her eyes looking a little hurt. ‘I don’t mind it anymore, but I know that you have the same thing. You’re “ _the boy who lived_ ”, but you’re also “ _Harry_ ”. I think more people should see you as “ _Harry_ ”.’

Harry stared at her.

‘Can you read my mind, Luna?’ he asked.

Luna sniggered, dimples appearing in her cheeks. Harry couldn’t help but notice how cute she looked, and that her laughter sounded a little like bird-song.

‘You’re funny,’ she giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Harry smiled. He could feel his facial muscles straining; he hadn’t smiled in quite a while, not since the third task.

‘I try,’ he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. ’‘And, for what it’s worth Luna, I think more people should see you as “ _Luna_ ”.’

She smiled back at him.

‘You’re a sweet boy, Harry,’

Harry’s mouth stretched into a larger grin. He felt slightly light-headed.

‘I haven’t seen you smile since the Yule Ball,’ Luna chirped, as her giggles subsided. ‘That was a fun evening, wasn’t it?’

Harry nodded, leaning back against the tree behind him. ‘You kept talking about those-er, what were they? Crumple horned—’

‘Snorkacks.’ Luna finished, ‘I remember people giving us some funny looks when I was talking about it.’

‘Nah; they were probably just confused about why I kept grinning so much.’

Luna smiled.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, Harry,’ she said. ‘I was surprised when you kept dancing with me, to be honest.’

‘No problem,’ replied Harry, feeling slightly self-conscious. At the time, he had found it rather awkward. Now, it seemed a little silly of him. ‘Did you have a good time?’

‘Oh, yes, it was really fun. Although I think Cedric was probably having more fun than we were.’

Harry felt his smile slide off his face.

‘I remember when he was dancing with Cho Chang,’ Luna continued, absentmindedly stroking her long blonde hair. ‘He looked really happy. Do you remember?’

‘Y-yeah, I do,’ Harry muttered.  

‘I’m not surprised you do,’ Luna said serenely. ‘You did stare a lot at them.’

Harry felt his face flush. _Had he really been that obvious?_ He had tried to pay attention to Luna when she had been talking to him, but occasionally his eyes would drift over to where Cho and Cedric were swaying, their hands joined and their bodies close. The memory still made him feel uncomfortable.

‘I’m… I’m sorry, Luna,’ he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘That was rude of me.’

‘It’s alright, Harry,’ she said, cheerfully. ‘I mean, you liked Cho. It’s understandable that you’d get jealous when she was dancing with someone else.’

Harry felt a weird bumbling sensation in his stomach, and realised that it was guilt. _Why did it bother him so much that Luna knew how much he had liked Cho?_

Then a sudden thought struck him.

‘“ _Liked?_ ”’

Luna stared at him. He could feel her line of vision drilling into his skull, but strangely he didn’t mind.  

‘Well, you did like her, didn’t you?’ she asked, in a slightly confused tone. ‘And you don’t anymore?’

Harry’s mouth fell open. Yes, it was true that he didn’t see Cho in that way anymore. He found it too painful to think about, along with many of his memories of Cedric, ever since the night in that graveyard. But how had Luna known?

‘But when-how did you—?’

‘Oh, just your expression.’ Luna replied cheerfully.

‘R-right,’ Harry mumbled. Luna was a very interesting girl. Sometimes he thought that she understood him better than he did himself.

Luna turned her head slightly.

‘Do you miss Cedric?’

Harry’s throat closed up. He felt a little sick in his stomach. With a start, he realised that his eyes were starting to water.

‘I’m so sorry, Harry,’ Luna’s face came into view before him. She had moved over so that she was kneeling in front of him, a concerned expression on her usually care-free face. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. That was wrong of me.’

‘N-no, it’s fine,’ Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. ‘I suppose it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.’

Luna bit her bottom lip, looking a little conflicted. It was such an unusual sight that Harry momentarily stopped rubbing his eyes.

Before he knew it, Luna had put her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Harry could feel her hands holding onto the back of his shirt, and all he could see was her blonde hair, which smelled of vanilla and wild flowers. The strands of light hair stood out against the warm orange-red undertones of his cheeks, and seemed to tickle his skin.    

Harry felt his breath catch in his lungs, and, with trembling hands, he patted her back. It felt soft and warm.  

‘Things will get better, Harry,’ Luna whispered into his ear. Harry felt goosebumps appear on his neck.

‘How- how can you believe that?’ he stuttered, several strands of Luna’s hair getting caught in his mouth.

Luna pulled back slightly, so that her face was in front of his. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. Harry could almost see himself reflected in her large grey eyes.

‘Because I believe in you.’

Harry stared at her, speechless. He could feel his heart beating hard inside his chest, and his stomach gave a funny lurch.

Luna gave Harry another big smile, and climbed up to her feet. She turned on her heel airily and began to slowly walk away.

‘Luna, wait!’

Before Harry knew quite what he was doing, he had jumped to his feet, run forward, and grabbed Luna softly by the hand. Her skin felt warm and friendly under his fingers. Harry felt his stomach give a funny lurch.

She turned her head, her eyes lingering slightly on their intertwined hands, which seemed to complement each-other so well.

‘Yes, Harry?’

Harry’s mind was suddenly bursting with different questions, but, seemingly out of nowhere, a string of words tumbled out of his mouth.

‘Can… can I write to you over the summer?’

Luna’s mouth broke into an enormous smile. It might have just been Harry, but her face looked like it was reflecting the sun, so that he felt like he was looking into a new sun-rise.

‘I’d like that very much, Harry.’ Luna said, her eyes sparkling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	4. 'Chatting On A Rainy Afternoon'

The rain rattled against the windows of the castle, matching Ron’s mood. He was absentmindedly walking through a very quiet part of the sprawling school corridors. It was a boring Saturday afternoon; Harry had been busy with something else (probably something to do with avoiding romantic admirers, Ron thought jealously), and Hermione had been snappy with Ron all morning- apparently, he was disturbing her work. How she had any work at all (considering that she insisted that they spend the entirety of the week completing all their homework) was a mystery to Ron.

He’s eventually got so sick of Hermione glaring at him as he tried to chat to her, that he’d gone for a walk. He wasn’t going anywhere in particular- he just wanted to waste some time, alone with his thoughts, away from the angry looks of the bushy-haired witch who he couldn’t help staring at.

He could still remember the relieved look on her face as he left the common-room. She had seemed genuinely glad to be rid of him. The thought did little to improve his mood.

‘Hello, Ron.’

A voice interrupted his thoughts. Turning to his left, he saw Luna Lovegood sat on a sofa by a nearby window, her long dirty-blonde hair tied into a messy bun.

‘Oh- hi,’ said Ron, lamely. He wasn’t really sure how to speak to Luna. That was more Harry’s thing.

‘What are you doing at this end of the castle, then?’ she asked, in a cheerful tone.

Ron shrugged.

‘Just fancied a walk.’

‘That’s understandable. Wet weather can really encourage Wrackspurts to reproduce. You don’t want a build-up of them in your head.’

Ron didn’t really know what a Wrackspurt was, but he didn’t want to appear stupid. He had enough of that around Hermione. He didn’t want to repeat that with Luna as well.

‘Oh, okay.’

Luna turned her head to one side, her hair falling down one shoulder.

‘You’re not going to tell me that they don’t exist?’

Ron felt very confused, and a little slow.

‘Er, should I have done?’ he asked, inwardly groaning. _Merlin,_ _how much of a twit did he seem to her?_  

Luna gave a little giggle, and smiled.

‘I suppose not,’ she grinned, her large grey eyes bulging slightly. ‘Usually, when I mention them, people just laugh and tell me not to make up rubbish.’

Ron felt a feeling of empathy in his stomach. He knew what it felt like to not be believed in.

‘That’s horrible,’ he said, and he meant it.

Luna smiled at him again.

‘Would you like to sit with me for a bit?’

Ron shrugged, deciding that he didn’t have anything better to do. And it would be nice to chat with someone who didn’t glare at him every-time he opened his mouth, unlike a certain bushy-haired girl in the Gryffindor common-room.

He sat down next to Luna on the sofa. The rain continued to splash against the windows, but Ron could distantly make out the outline of Hagrid’s hut in the distance, way down in the grounds.

Ron swallowed awkwardly. He had never really talked to Luna much. He knew that Harry had been hanging around her a lot so far that year, but Luna had never spoken much to Ron before this, aside from the occasional greeting when she ran into Harry, Ron and Hermione in the corridors.

‘You’re a special person, Ron,’ said Luna, as she absentmindedly played with a strand of her hair. ‘Harry talks about you a lot.’

Ron didn’t quite know how to process that. He felt a little wrong-footed.  

‘Well, I’m his friend,’ he muttered awkwardly.

Luna nodded.

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘He cares for you very much.’

‘Probably the same as he does for everyone else,’ Ron said, scratching his long nose distractedly. ‘I’m nothing special. I’m just his friend.’

‘You don’t sound as if you like that.’

‘What the—?’ exclaimed Ron, bewilderedly. ‘Of course I like being Harry’s friend!’

‘Then why did you say that you’re “ _just_ ” his friend.’

Ron swallowed. Luna was a bit odd. It was almost like she could read his mind.

‘I guess…well, I know he doesn’t mean it to happen, but…’

‘You get over-shadowed by him?’

Ron’s eyes widened slightly. _How could she tell?_

‘Not so much “over-shadowed”…more like, “pushed to one side”,’ muttered Ron, putting a hand absentmindedly through his tangled red hair. ‘I know he can’t help it; being “the boy who lived” and all, but…it still hurts.’

Ron’s voice went up an octave, and he felt the beginnings of tears behind his eyes. _Merlin, Luna must have thought he was pathetic…_

A small hand patted his arm, and, turning round, he realised Luna had stretched out a comforting arm. She looked curious, but also understanding. Drawing strength from this, he continued.

‘Especially when…both him and Hermione seem so much further along than me in, well, everything.’ Ron mumbled, blinking hurriedly to get rid of the wetness in his eyes. ‘Sometimes I feel like I’m always playing catch-up with them.’

It was true. It had been that way since first year. Ron hated himself for thinking it, but he still couldn’t help thinking about it. Someday, he didn’t know when, he would probably be left behind, permanently. The thought terrified him.

‘You know, I always hear people say “ _Ron’s lucky to have a friend like Harry Potter_ ”,’ Luna said, matter-of-factly. Ron’s stomach shrivelled slightly.

‘Yeah…I hear that a lot…especially behind my back,’ he mumbled. He heard it from other students, and even teachers. It didn’t surprise him at all anymore. ‘What about it?’

‘I don’t understand why no-one says “ _Harry is lucky to have a friend like Ron Weasley_ ”. It would be more truthful.’

‘Harry’s not “lucky” to have me as his friend!’ Ron gasped, perplexed. ‘ _No-one is_! I’m not brave like Harry, or smart like Hermione. I’m the…I’m the…’

Numerous phrases blew through Ron’s brain; phrases that were always at the back of his mind. ‘ _The spare part_ ’, ‘ _the third wheel_ ’, ‘ _the sidekick_ ’, ‘ _the spare_ ’…

He could read it on people’s faces when he stood next to Harry and Hermione.

_The boy who lived and the brightest witch of the age; hanging around with some gangly red-head with no real talents._

_Did they pity him, or where they just stringing him along due to a lack of better options? Why else would they be friends with him?_

Ron knew that it wasn’t true, but it was always at the back of his mind, especially when people seemed to overlook him. It happened all the time- in the school corridors, around adults, and even around other students.

His thoughts were interrupted by Luna.

‘Ron, have you ever seen Hermione and Harry talk when you’re not around?’

‘Well…no, because I wouldn’t be there, Luna.’

Luna chuckled slightly. Luna had a nice laugh, a bit like bird-song. It was quite soothing.

‘I suppose so,’ she continued. ‘Well, it’s like watching two muggle internal-combustion engines trying to out-do each-other. All they can do is rile each-other up until they explode.’

‘I don’t follow…’ started Ron, feeling more lost than ever.

‘Ron, you’re like the safety valve for both of them,’ Luna said sweetly, patting his arm. ‘You calm them, you stop Hermione getting stuck in her own head, and you prevent Harry from doing the same. They’d be lost without you’

‘That doesn’t make me special, Luna. Anyone could do that.’

‘No-one but you could do that, Ron. You’re amazing.’

‘No, I’m not.’

Luna turned her head to one side, and looked at Ron sadly.

‘Ron, you _really_ don’t believe that, do you.’

Ron dropped his eyes to his knees, his heart beating sadly.

‘Let’s just say I’ve had time to get used to it,’ he muttered, scratching a piece of dirt under a finger-nail.

It was true. He knew it had never been intentional, but it had been that way since he was a child. Bill was cool, Charlie was a bloody dragon-expert, Percy was the smart one, Fred and George were funny, and Ginny was the only girl, as well as being popular. Who was he? Just another Weasley boy- the odd one out. No real niche to call his own. Starting Hogwarts with hand-me-downs, and a second-hand wand that had been broken for over a year.

He thought that maybe things would change when he got to Hogwarts, but it hadn’t. As much as he loved the two of them, Harry and Hermione certainly didn’t help his emerge from anyone’s shadow. One was famous, rich and brave as can be. The hero. The golden boy. Someone that Ron couldn’t help but be compared to.

The other was…well, the brightest witch of their age. A genius who he had fallen, _inescapably_ , _completely_ , in love with; knowing full well she would never, in a million years, see him in the same way.

He couldn’t blame people for pushing him to the side to get to his friends- he was the odd one out again. Stuck at the side whilst the “real heroes” solved the problems. _The spare part._

Luna placed a hand on his shoulder in support. Her hand felt soft, and calmed Ron, like a warm hot chocolate drink after a cold day outside.  

‘Ron, you are anything _but_ ordinary,’ she said. ‘Do you know what I see in Harry and Hermione’s eyes when you they look at you?’

Ron shook his head.

‘Harry looks at you like he would look at a brother. He trusts you with his life. You mean so much to him.’

‘Come off it, Luna!’ exclaimed Rom. He trusted Harry that way, but why would Harry feel the same way for Ron? He wasn’t important. He wasn’t brave, or smart. He was just…Ron.

‘It’s true, Ron,’ Luna continued to pat his arm. ‘You don’t realise what you mean to people. Especially your friends.’

Ron sat quietly for a moment. Then, a thought struck him. Trembling slightly, he opened his mouth.

‘Wait, what-what does Hermione see…when she looks at me.’

 Luna smiled.

‘She sees something… _more_.’

Ron’s eyes widened and a slight blush appeared on his ears.

He stared out into the rain. He couldn’t believe that. It wasn’t possible. It _couldn’t_ be possible. Hermione saw him as a friend, yes. A best friend? Of course. But she also found him annoying, irrational and difficult to handle. They were always bickering over something.

Any chance he might have had with her had been destroyed by his behaviour at the Yule Ball the previous year. His stomach gave a dull ache at the thought of it. Whenever he remembered it, all he could think of was Hermione’s hurt and angry face. It was the face that he still saw every time he upset her- he doubted he would ever forgive himself for it.  

After that, he didn’t think he deserved to hope for anything more than friendship. He wasn’t worth that much, surely.

Luna gave a little sigh. Ron turned to look at her.

She was playing with a stray thread on her robes whilst looking out at the pouring rain hitting the windows, and her face seemed to lose something of its previous optimism. Her eyes were more downcast, and, when she spoke, Ron could hear barely-controlled pain in her voice.

‘Sometimes, I really envy you, Ron.’

‘What?’ gasped Ron, completely baffled. Luna wasn’t over-shadowed; she was her own person.  ‘Why would you- I’m not enviable, Luna!’

‘You’ve known Harry for far longer than I have, and you’re closer than him that I will ever be,’ she said, looking a little sad as she continued to stare out into the rain, which continued to hit the windows. ‘And closer to Hermione, too. She’s never really liked me.’

‘Luna, Hermione does like you!’ Ron exclaimed, ‘She just…doesn’t _get_ you.’

Luna smiled at him, but Ron knew it wasn’t a happy smile. It was masking deeper pain. He knew it, because he saw it every time he looked into a mirror.  

‘No-one really “gets” me, Ron,’ she whispered, her voice losing something of its airy-fairy quality.  ‘I don’t mind it. It’s always been that way, ever since I started at Hogwarts. I’ve gotten used to it.’

 _We’re not so different_ , Ron thought, _I’ve gotten used to people not “getting” me either…_

‘Well, _Harry_ gets you, Luna,’ he proffered, feeling very awkward. He had no idea how to talk about these things. He wanted her to understand him. ‘And, for what it’s worth, I might not get you yet, but I certainly want to.’

Luna smiled.

‘Thank you, Ron. I appreciate that,’ she grinned, dimples showing. ‘Harry is a good friend to me. He’s a sweet boy.’

‘It’s more than that, Luna,’ Ron urged. He wasn’t good with words, but he really wanted to understand him.

He knew how much Harry cared for Luna, maybe even more than Harry did himself. During the times when he had seen Harry and Luna talk, Ron had noticed how Harry’s face lit up, how Harry seemed to relax, how his stress seemed to leave him (albeit briefly) whenever he was around her. Harry’s eyes would lighten, his mouth would stretch into a grin, and he would gaze at Luna in such a tender way that Ron felt as if he was intruding on something private between the two of them.

Ron rarely saw Harry looking peaceful and content, especially not since the end of their fourth year, but that was the affect that Luna had on Harry.

‘Harry’s always happy - _really happy_ \- when he’s with you,’ Ron continued.  ‘It’s… _different_ , then when he’s with me or Hermione. _Something more_.’

Luna’s eyes widened slightly, and a small amount of pink entered her normally pale face.

‘Really?’ she asked, her voice barely a whisper.  

Ron nodded, the dots in his head beginning to connect.

‘Harry cares about you _a lot_ , Luna,’ he said, giving her an awkward pat on the arm. ‘Far more than you realise.’

Luna smiled, her eyes sparkling slightly.

‘Thank you, Ron,’ she said, grinning happily. ‘I hope you realise how important you are to people.’

‘You too.’

They both stood up, and walked out into the centre of the corridor. Ron was just about to say goodbye to Luna when a loud voice interrupted them.

‘There you are, Ron!’

Ron and Luna both turned. Harry and Hermione were running up the corridor towards them, their robes billowing behind them.

‘Where the bloody hell have you be-oh, hi Luna!’ exclaimed Harry, a red blush appearing on his cheeks as he stopped in front of her.

‘Hello, Harry!’ chirped Luna, her eyes still sparkling. Ron saw Harry blink a couple of times, as if Luna’s smile was blinding to look at.

‘I was wondering where you were, Ron,’ said Harry, turning to stare up at his friend. ‘We were worried about you.’

‘You- you were?’

Out of the corner of his eye, Ron saw Luna smile knowingly. Maybe she had been right after all.

‘Of course!’ exclaimed Harry, playfully hitting Ron on the arm. ‘We’re your friends, Ron- of course we’d want to know where you’d wandered off to! And Hermione did look very apologetic about- oh, speak of the devil!’

Hermione stopped in front of Ron, her face still red from running. Her eyes met Ron’s.

‘Er- hi,’ said Ron, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at her. ‘Listen, Hermione, I’m- I’m sorry about earlier. I wasn’t trying to annoy you or—’

‘Oh, no- that was my fault, Ron!’ exclaimed Hermione, looking a little surprised. ‘I’m just been snowed under with work lately, I’ve developed a bit of a short fuse.’

Ron let out a little laugh.

‘What?’ asked Hermione, looking bewilderedly up at him.

‘Nothing,’ Ron said, grinning. ‘It’s just…it wouldn’t be _you_ if you weren’t irritated with me, Ron. Guess you’re stuck with me, eh?’

A slight blush appeared on Hermione’s cheek.

‘I- yes,’ she mumbled, breaking eye-contact with him. ‘I-I suppose I am. I mean- as long as you don’t…’

‘I wouldn’t miss arguing with _you_ for the world, Hermione.’

Hermione’s entire face turned a delicate shade of pink. _Interesting_ , Ron thought…

‘It’s been really good talking to you, Ron,’ said Luna out of nowhere, giving Ron a big hug. Ron couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle as Harry’s face contorted in confusion. Hermione’s eyes seemed to narrow and her hair crackled with electricity. As Luna pulled away, she gave Harry a glowing smile, and pulled him into a hug. Harry’s eyes widened further, and he tentatively patted Luna on the back.

‘Bye- I’ll see you around!’

And with that, Luna skipped away, her long blond hair bouncing in its messy bun behind her.

Harry continued to stare after Luna, and then he turned to Ron, who was trying not to smile. 

‘What were you and Luna doing, then?’ Harry asked. Ron couldn’t help but notice a slight touch of jealousy in his voice.

‘Nothing really, mate,’ Ron replied cautiously. ‘We were just chatting about life and love.’

If it was possible, Harry’s face became even more confused.

‘What?’

Ron mentally cursed. He shouldn’t have let that slip. He would have to be very careful. He knew that Harry and Luna probably loved each-other, and he wanted to help. They were his friends, after all, and he wanted them to be happy. However, he was worried that Harry would start panicking if Ron revealed how much he knew. It would be best to break it to him subtly.  

‘We talked about this _really great bloke_ she knows,’ Ron rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Harry and Hermione were both looking confusingly up at him, and he felt very self-conscious. He hoped Harry would take the hint.  ‘She wants to, well, get to know… _him_ …better.’ He gave Harry a pointed look as he said it, praying that he would take the hint.

Harry’s eyebrows contracted, and his face began to turn slightly red.

 _Bingo_ , Ron thought.

‘ _She- she does?_ ’

Ron nodded, smiling slightly.  

‘She, er, mentioned you a lot, actually’ he continued, trying not to grin at the astounded look on Harry’s face. ‘She really likes you. And I know how much you… _appreciate her_.’

Harry opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, looking a little bit like a fish.

‘I mean, Luna is amazing,’ Ron continued, trying not to babble. ‘So I can understand why you see her like that.’

Harry’s eyes glinted, and a small hopeful smile began to play on his lips. He turned round to stare at the way Luna had walked off to, and took a tentative step forward. Ron gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and Harry grinned back at him as he left the two of them and rounded the corner.

‘ _Oh, is she, Ron?_ ’ asked Hermione, who’s voice (laced with ice) brought Ron’s attention back to her. The bushy-haired witch was glaring up at him, a muscle working in her jaw.

If she had done that earlier that morning, Ron would have been worried. But instead he just smiled slightly, his heart beating fast against his chest.

‘Well, yeah…’ he mumbled, not quite meeting Hermione’s eyes. ‘But…so are _you_ , Hermione.’

The stormy expression on Hermione’s face vanished, to be immediately replaced by one of confusion and (Ron thought he was just imagining things) a little happy.

Her eyes broke contact with Ron’s, and her hands twisted together nervously. 

‘T-thank you, Ron,’ she stuttered, staring at her shoes. Her brown eyes seemed to glitter in the dim light of the corridor.

Ron’s heart gave a heavy thud inside his chest, and his stomach seemed to do a flip.

‘N-no problem,’ he said, heat prickling the tops of his ears. ‘I-I’ve always thought so. You-you know that, right?’

Hermione’s mouth stretched into a large nervous grin, her cheeks a slight pink.

‘Y-yeah’ she said, breathlessly. She was staring up into Ron’s eyes now, and Ron though he could see himself reflected in her own warm-brown eyes. ‘I’ve always thought that about _you_ as well.’

Feeling his heart expanding, Ron remembered what Luna had said earlier- ‘ _you don’t realise what you mean to people, especially your friends_ ’.

‘T-thanks, Hermione,’ he said, trying not to grin like an idiot. He probably was. But he didn’t care. Hermione Granger had just told him that she thought he was amazing, and that made everything else better.

His heart feeling like it could burst with happiness; Ron looked past Hermione’s eyes to the windows behind her, where rain continued to pound against the glass.

 _Chatting on rainy afternoons was okay_ , he thought; watching the candle-light dance on Hermione’s hair, _it really helps give a new perspective on things…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	5. 'You're A Great Person'

Luna was walking from her transfiguration class to the Great Hall. She was stroking a strand of her hair in thought, and her wand was behind her ear for safekeeping. She stopped behind a large column to star absent-mindedly at a tapestry depicting a Hippogriff learning to play a piano.

‘Did you see Lovegood earlier?’

A sharp nasally voice interrupted the quiet of the corridor. There were two boys standing across the corridor on the other side of the column- they had clearly not noticed that she was there, and were obviously talking about her.

‘Yeah- what a weird one, eh?’ barked another voice, higher-pitched and rough-sounding ‘She was skipping down the corridor the other day, humming to herself’

‘Complete weirdo,’ said the first voice. ‘I’m not surprised that Loony Lovegood doesn’t have any friends.’

Luna let out a quiet sigh. She was used to people being rude about her, mocking her, and calling her names. She would wait until they left, and then continue on to the Great Hall for lunch.

‘How dare you?!’ came a voice that Luna recognised. It was angry, and the accompanying footsteps seemed to indicate that the owner was marching swiftly up the corridor. ‘You leave her alone!’

‘What the—?’ the first voice exclaimed ‘Why do you care?’

‘Cause she’s my friend!’ bellowed Harry Potter, his voice echoing off the walls. ‘You call her “Loony” one more time, and I’m gonna hex you into next week!’

Luna’s breath caught in her throat. Her feet seemed unable to move.

‘Harry!’ called another approaching voice, which Luna recognised Ron Weasley’s large feet hitting the carpet as he hurried towards Harry.

Ron’s voice changed to a suspicious and stand-offish tone.

‘Oh, it’s you two again. Didn’t you try and trip Neville up in the Great Hall last week?’

‘They were being rude about Luna, Ron!’ yelled Harry angrily, and Luna heard some struggling noises- it sounded like Ron was having to physically restrain Harry from punching the other two.

‘Get out of here,’ muttered Ron to the other two ‘Before Harry curses your arrogant faces off!’

Luna heard the noises of scurrying feet as the two other boys hurriedly retreated. With a loud gasp, Ron released Harry.

‘What a bunch of g*ts!’ Harry growled angrily. ‘I swear, if they pick on Luna one more time…’

‘I know, mate.’ said Ron, picking up his dropped rucksack ‘They’re out of order. Some people just don’t understand.’

 ‘Yeah. She’s a really great person; Luna is.’ Harry said, as he and Ron began to walk away down the corridor towards the Great Hall ‘I wish more people would see that…’

Luna stayed rooted to the spot. Her heart was beating quickly, and her stomach was uncomfortable squirming, like she had eaten too much spicy food.

_Luna’s a really great person…I wish more people would see that…_

Luna could feel a rising heat touching her cheeks. Her heart continued to beat faster.

 _Oh Harry_ , she thought, _you’re so sweet…_

Shaking her head, she picked up her bag and began to walk along the corridor towards the Great Hall. Upon entering through the large main doors, she wandered over to the Gryffindor table, where Harry and Ron had just sat down near Hermione and Ginny.

‘Hi Luna!’ called Ginny as she drew near, grinning over at her.

Luna grinned back, her heart beating fast in her chest.

Instead of sitting down with them, she walked up behind where Harry was sitting, and hugged him tightly from behind, burying her head into the side of his neck. Harry gave a loud splutter and dropped his butter knife.

Ginny’s grin slid off her face like Stinksap, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.  

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and Ron gave Luna a knowing look.

‘What the—?’ stuttered Harry, craning his neck to look at Luna, his face burning. ‘Luna, what was that for?’

Luna smiled sweetly at him, her enormous grey eyes glittering. She could feel the blood rushing in her ears, and her stomach gave another squirm. She could see her face reflected in Harry’s eyes- her face was a subtle shade of pink, but she didn’t mind.

‘You’re a really nice person, Harry.’ she whispered into his ear ‘I just wanted you to know that.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	6. 'Nargles and Heartbeats'

‘Expelliarmus!’

Harry, who hadn’t been paying attention, felt his wand fly out of his hand and land a few feet away. He rushed over to grab it before anyone could step on it.  

‘What’s up, Harry?’ asked Neville, as Harry returned to the spot where the two of them were practicing spells. ‘You seem a little distracted.’

‘Oh-er, nothing,’ Harry said hurriedly. ‘Probably just a bit pre-occupied about Christmas.’

‘More like a bit pre-occupied over a _certain someone_ ,’ sniggered Ron, who was waiting nearby for his freezing charm to wear off on Hermione. ‘Maybe a _certain Ravenclaw_ …’

‘S-shut up!’ muttered Harry, a slight blush hitting his cheeks. _Was Ron suggesting what he thought he was suggesting?_

More to stop Ron from giggling than anything else, Harry looked round the enormous room of requirement, where the entirety of the DA were assembled in pairs and duelling. His eyes lingered on a blur of dirty-blond hair that was currently dodging the disarming spells of Ginny Weasley. Harry felt his mouth stretch into a small smile.

‘Told you.’

Harry turned. Ron was grinning mischievously at him, his arms folded and a knowing look in his eyes.

In his mind, Harry let out a string of several of Uncle Vernon’s favourite swear words. He had been rumbled.

‘Told him what, Ron?’

Hermione walked up to join them, Ron’s freezing charm having just worn off. Harry saw Ron’s eyes soften slightly as he watched her approach.

‘Oh, nothing,’ Harry said quickly, before Ron could open his mouth to reply.

Hermione furrowed her brow at him, looking suspicious.

‘Er- Neville,’ Harry exclaimed loudly, turning round to the round-faced Gryffindor to escape Hermione’s glare. ‘Let’s try “ _Expelliarmus_ ” again, shall we?’

And yet, as Harry casted the disarming jinx, he begin to wonder whether Ron was correct. He had been feeling a bit absentminded lately, and his mind did keep wandering _, especially when he was near…_

Harry’s stomach gave a lurch, and his shook his head, trying to focus as he watched Neville hurry across the room to get his wand.

 

At the end of the hour, Harry called a halt.

‘You’re all getting really good,’ he grinned, beaming round at the assembled faces. ‘When we get back from the holiday period, we can start doing some of the big stuff, maybe Patronuses.’

There was a smattering of excited murmurs, and the group began to drift towards their bags that were left nearby the door, many of them wishing Harry a ‘Merry Christmas’ as they passed him, Cho Chang among them. Harry was glad that he and Cho were getting along better nowadays, especially since his crush on her had largely disappeared (her parting smile only made his stomach give a dull thud).

Soon enough, there were very few people left in the room at all. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, who were standing nearby.

‘We’d best get these decorations down now,’ he said, summoning a small step-ladder from the opposite wall.

‘Oh, yes,’ agreed Hermione. ‘If we start with the ones attached to the ceiling, we can—’

‘Actually, Hermione,’ interrupted Ron. ‘Can you help me with my prefect paperwork? I told McGonagall I’d get it sorted before the holidays.’

Hermione let out a loud groan. ‘I told you to get that sorted last week!’ she exclaimed, reaching under her golden-brown hair to scratch the back of her neck. ‘You’ve had over a month to finish it!’

Ron grinned apologetically down at her, looking a little embarrassed. His mouth was formed into the lop-sided grin that he never showed to anyone-else. Hermione’s gaze softened slightly.

‘Oh, alright,’ she sighed, resignedly. Hermione turned to Harry. ‘I’m sorry, Harry, but this is a really important prefect report. Can someone else help you with the decorations- oh, Luna?’

Luna Lovegood, who was just about the room, turned and looked inquiringly over at them. Harry felt his stomach give another funny lurch.

Ron’s grin widened.

‘What a great idea, Hermione!’ he exclaimed, giving Harry a knowing look out of the side of his eye. ‘Luna, could you help Harry take down the holiday things?’

Luna’s eyes lingered on Harry, who began to feel somewhat self-conscious.

‘Of course,’ Luna replied, her eyes not leaving Harry’s face.  

‘Great!’ Ron grabbed Hermione by the hand and began gently hurrying her past Luna to the door. Harry saw Hermione’s eyes grow slightly larger as she looked at Ron’s hand wrapped around hers, and a slight blush appeared on Hermione’s warm-bronze cheeks. ‘See you later, Harry!’

Harry thought he saw Ron give him a mischievous wink over his shoulder as the door swung closed behind them.

Feeling slightly dumbfounded, Harry continued to stare at the now-closed door. _What was Ron playing at?_ Harry remembered Ron finishing that paperwork the previous evening….

‘Are you alright, Harry?’

Harry turned to look at Luna. She was staring at him, in that way that always did. Her eyes were kind and she was playing with a strand of her long dirty-blonde hair absentmindedly.

Harry smiled.

‘Yeah, I’m fine, Luna. Come on, we best get started.’

 

A few minutes later, they were getting underway. Luna was at the top of the step-ladder and was taking the decorations off the ceiling. Harry was stood at the bottom of the ladder, and was placing the various things that Luna handed him into a large cardboard box.

He was just placing a large artificial candle into the box when a thought occurred to him.   

‘No mistletoe, then?’

‘That’s probably a good thing,’ said Luna seriously, looking down at him. ‘Mistletoe is often vulnerable to Nargle infestations.’

Harry’s face probably looked a picture of confusion, because Luna let out a giggle.

‘Er, right,’ mumbled Harry, trying not to get light-headed with how cute he thought Luna sounded. ‘So, Nargles- do they _do_ anything? To people, I mean.’

‘Oh yes,’ Luna said, still giggling slightly. ‘They can cause light-headedness and difficulty concentrating; imagine your head with filled with fluff. That’s just with humans, though. I’m still not sure about their effects on other creatures yet.’

‘That would explain some things.’

Luna looked down at Harry, puzzled. ‘How so?’

‘Well…’ Harry smiled despite his nervousness. ‘That would explain why people snog underneath mistletoe. They must get a lot of a lot of fluff in their heads.’

A slight pink tinge appeared on Luna’s cheeks. Harry stared- Luna rarely blushed.

‘Probably a side-effect.’ Luna said, as she reached up to take another decoration off the ceiling.

‘Y-yeah,’ mumbled Harry, praying that his face wasn’t turning red. ‘It’s a shame that we haven’t any mistletoe here. We could test out that theory.’

Luna’s face bypassed pink and turned a dark red. She bit her lip, like she always did when she was nervous.

_Thump._

Harry’s eyes widened slightly. _What was that?_

‘I-I think that’s all the decorations, Harry’, Luna said, handing him a small ornament of two cupids dancing. Her face was still a little pink.

‘Y-yeah,’ Harry said, trying not to stare at her like an idiot as he took the decoration from her hand.

He dropped it into the almost-full cardboard box nearby, which he then banished with a flick of his wand to the other side of the room.

He was just about to wish Luna “happy holidays” when a small squeal made him spin round. Luna’s footing had slipped whilst trying to climb down from the ceiling, and she was now clinging tightly to the ladder.

‘You okay?’ Harry asked, concerned.

Luna’s knuckles began to turn slightly white as she held on. She looked a little worried.

‘Sorry, Harry,’ she said, quietly. ‘I must have sprained my ankle earlier during the duelling.’

Harry held out his hand.

‘Would you like some help getting down?’ he asked. He felt his heart beat hard against his chest again.

Luna nodded again, and reached out. Her pale fingers were soft and warm against Harry’s skin.

‘Thank you, Harry,’ she said, looking him in the eye in that way that she always did.

‘N-no problem.’  Harry stuttered, feeling slightly self-conscious.

Moving slowly but determinedly, Luna climbed down, so that she was standing next to Harry.

She did not let go of his hand, but continued to hold it, squeezing his fingers gently in hers. Harry felt his hand tingle slightly, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Luna met Harry’s eyes, and a slight pinkish hue appeared on her cheeks again. Harry could feel the heart rising in his own face.

‘Happy holidays, Harry,’ Luna said, her mouth stretching into a broad smile. Dimples appeared in her cheeks.

‘Y-yeah,’ Harry mumbled, seeing himself reflected in her large grey eyes. ‘You two, Luna.’

She gave his fingers another gentle squeeze and let go. Still smiling, she drifted over to the door. Her fingers hovered on the handle, but she turned again to face Harry, who was still staring after her.

‘You know, Harry,’ she said, not quite meeting his eyes. ‘We can look at Nargle infestations of mistletoe in the future. Only if you want to, of course.’

Harry’s mouth stretched into a large smile. His heart seemed to be beating at the back of his throat.

‘I’d be honoured, Luna.’

Luna’s eyes met Harry’s, and her lips stretched into a nervous smile. She turned and walked slowly through the door, her long dirty-blonde hair dancing in the candle-light. Harry thought he saw her look back at him just before the door gently closed behind her.

Harry continued to stare at the closed door; his heart racing and his knees beginning to knock. He looked down at his hand, which was still tingling slightly from where Luna had held it; he could almost still feel the touch of her soft skin against his calloused fingers.

Harry felt his stomach continue to lurch, and his heart continuing to beat like a drum.

The penny had finally dropped. This was no simple crush. He was in love with Luna Lovegood. He didn’t know when he had started seeing that way, but there was no escaping it.

He looked up at the ceiling. He could dimly see, tucked up against a beam, a small sprig of mistletoe that they had missed. It was very little, but seemed to be growing before Harry’s eyes, glinting in the dim light. He couldn’t tell if it was magical, or naturally growing there.

Harry let out a chuckle.

‘Next time, Luna,’ he said to himself, grinning. ‘Next time, _I’ll make sure we don’t miss it…._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	7. 'You're Just As Sane As I Am'

Luna Lovegood was not feeling good.

Her palms were sweaty, her nerves were all jangled, and her mind seemed determined to only think about one thing.

Harry Potter.

Luna couldn’t understand it. She had never really had close friends before, so she had been really happy when her and Harry had become friends over the past year. So, why then, was she unable to think about anything but him recently?

Harry was a good friend of hers. He was kind and didn’t make fun of her when she was talking about Crumble-horned Snorkacks.

‘ _What is wrong with me?_ ’ thought Luna, as she walked through a concealed passage towards the library. As she pulled open the tapestry that covered the passageway’s exit, she walked straight into someone.

Luna looked up, and recognised the round spectacles, messy hair and cute dimples of Harry Potter. Her heart started to pump faster. _What was wrong with her?_ Struggling with this sudden madness, she cleared her throat.  

‘Oh, hello, Harry’ 

‘S-sorry, Luna’ muttered Harry, a slight redness appearing under his eyes as he moved back. Luna smiled as she stepped under the tapestry into the corridor- Harry was a very interesting person.

‘Hi Luna,’ grinned the freckled face of Ron Weasley, who was watching Harry out of the corner of his eye with a bemused expression ‘Fancy bumping into you here.’

‘Hello, Ron’ Luna replied. She liked Ron- he was funny and kind.  

Harry evidently did not think Ron was funny at that moment in time- his face was still red.

‘Anyway’ Harry said, shooting Ron a dirty look ‘Are you heading over to the library, Luna?’

Luna nodded. ‘I need to look up something for Charms’

‘Well, how about that?’ said Ron, a mischievous smile pulling at his mouth ‘Harry- you were just saying that you’d forgotten to finish your Charms homework. Luna, why don’t you take Harry along to the library with you?’

‘Ron, what’re you—?’ Harry started angrily, but Ron had darted through the concealed passageway, giving the two of them a grin as the tapestry dropped down again.

Luna looked at Harry inquiringly. He was still staring at the tapestry, his face a mixture of confusion, irritation and (Luna’s stomach gave a slight lurch) nervousness.

‘Are you okay, Harry?’

Harry turned his head to face Luna, and his features softened. A slight smile formed on his mouth.

‘Yeah, Luna, I’m okay. Let’s head over to the library then’

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A short time later, the two of them were sat in a corner of the library, with several stacks around them. The library was unusually quiet that day, and Luna could barely hear Madam Prince stalking the shelves on the prowl for noisy students.

Harry was sat just across the table from her, concentrating hard as he scribbled down notes for his Charms essay. His hair, as usual, was sticking up all over the place, so that the light breaking through the window behind him seemed to create a messy halo of light. Luna thought it looked very interesting.

Harry looked up from his piece of parchment and he met Luna’s eyes.

‘You okay?’ he whispered, leaning over slightly

Luna realised with a start that she had been staring at him without saying anything for well over a minute. She normally wouldn’t have cared, but for some reason, she felt… _different_ …when Harry mentioned this.

‘Oh, nothing’ she said, dropping her gaze back to the text-book she was reading through. _Why did she feel so flustered?_

Her eyes fell on a short paragraph on the chapter she was reading- about the protective charms used to protect oneself against practitioners of the dark arts.

_“Protective charms such as the Fidelius Charm can assure some protection from the dark arts, the practitioners of which have (in the past) used dark magic to create feelings of obsession upon their victim. During the first wizarding war (1970-1981), many victims of the dark arts were cursed with obsession relating to friends, family and loved ones, with many victims inadvertently killing the people around them in fits of obsession.”_

 

Luna’s breath caught her throat. _Obsession?_ That sounded awfully like the feelings she had been experiencing towards Harry.

‘Luna- what’s wrong?’ Harry’s concerned voice seemed to reach Luna over a stormy ocean ‘Are you okay?’

Luna looked up. Harry had moved over to her side of the table, and was kneeling on the ground beside her, so that their faces were level.

Luna let out a quiet gasp. Tears were trickling down her cheeks and dropping onto her robes. She began to hurriedly wipe them away with her hands, but Harry pulled out a tissue from the pocket of his robes, and began to tenderly wipe away her tears. His skin felt soft under the tissue, and Luna felt her stomach squirm.

Luna could feel her heart hammering again, and a rising heat was making her cheeks burn.

‘What’s wrong, Luna?’ Harry repeated, as he continued to wipe away her tears ‘What’s got you so upset?’

Luna gave out a slight whimper as she pointed to the textbook. Harry, his brow furrowed, leaned over.

‘I’m-I’m so sorry, Harry’ Luna mumbled, biting her lip as Harry hurriedly skim-read the page ‘I’m so scared…I- I think I’ve been cursed with dark magic…’

Harry’s head appeared again in front of her. He looked confused.

‘But why—?’ he started

‘Ob-obsession’ Luna stuttered, not meeting his eyes ‘I’ve been unable to think about anything else lately…except…’

‘What?’ Harry’s voice gave a slight tremble.

‘Y-you.’

Harry’s eyes widened in shock. He seemed unable to speak, and all Luna could hear was the quiet splish-splash as her tears continued to fall onto her robes.

The silence made Luna’s heart hurt.

‘I- I can understand...’ she said, feeling like her heart was turning to lead ‘If you don’t want to be friends with me anymore…those death-eaters are using me to hurt you—’

‘What? Luna- you’re not being possessed!’ Harry exclaimed, his eyes glinting slightly ‘That’s not dark magic!’

‘But…’ Luna mumbled, confused ‘Then, why do I….’

Harry gave a slight giggle, which startled Luna. She thought it sounded like birdsong after a rainstorm. His features relaxed, and his lips grew into a small smile. 

‘Luna…that’s just a crush.’

Luna’s eyes widened. The tears stopped falling, but her heart continued to pound.

‘A…a crush?’

Harry nodded. He moved closer to her so that their faces were almost touching, and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Luna was startled to see another slight blush was appearing on his cheeks, and she could feel her own heart pounding in her ears.

‘Don’t worry.’ Harry’s voice was barely a whisper, but to Luna, his voice seemed to echo through her mind ‘You’re just as sane as I am…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	8. 'Under The Fairy Lights'

Harry Potter had a problem.

The problem was love, and it concerned Luna Lovegood.

He had recently discovered that Luna had a crush on him. He had been thrilled about it, having been attracted to her for a long time. However, he found himself conflicted over what to do.

On the one hand, he wanted to pursue things with Luna.  On the other hand, however, he was terrified that he would get something wrong.  He liked having Luna as a friend, but what if he messed things up whilst trying to pursue her romantically? He didn’t think he could take it if he did something to scare her or (even worse) make her hate him.

However, this wasn’t his only problem, as he was once again the best friend of two people who seemed to hate each-other with a burning passion.

Ron and Hermione had fallen out. That was not a new thing, but this time was different. Unlike the previous times they had stopped speaking, this was over matters of the heart.

Ron had recently begun dating Lavender Brown (although, the way Harry saw it, all the two of them seemed to do was snog). Hermione had then attacked Ron with a flock of ravenous birds. The two had not spoken since.

Harry was not especially impressed with either of them. After his two friends had agreed to go to Slughorn’s party together, he had thought that they had finally made some progress with their obvious attraction to each-other. However, they were both now treating the other with a disdain they usually reserved for people who bullied Neville Longbottom.

As far as Harry was concerned, it was now blindingly obvious that Ron and Hermione were in love with each-other, and yet his two friends seemed further apart than ever before. Harry was forced to split his time between the two of them. Hermione refused to talk in the common-room whilst Ron was intertwined around Lavender Brown, so Harry had spent an especially miserable early evening in the library with his bushy-haired friend, punctuated only by Hermione angrily blotting her parchment every time she mentioned Ron’s name.

The two of them had returned to the Gryffindor common-room, and Harry had hoped to try and close the distance between his two friends. However, Hermione had spotted Lavender Brown wrapped around Ron like an electric eel, and had left for her dormitory before Harry could say any words of comfort.

He hoped that maybe their attitudes would improve the next day during lessons, but this had proved to be false. The Transfiguration lesson had progressed with Ron and Hermione being unpleasant to each-other throughout the whole lesson, culminating with Hermione leaving the class in tears and abandoning half her belongings at her desk.

Ron squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, and his face became laden with guilt. However, under the watchful eye of Lavender, he could hardly run after Hermione to apologise. Harry’s eyes met Ron’s, and the redhead omitted a silent plea.

Mentally cursing the childishness of his two friends, Harry let out a heavy sigh, collected Hermione’s things and set off to find her.

Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten far, and Harry discovered her leaving a girls bathroom on the floor below. What surprised him was the person who was patting Hermione softly on the back.

‘Oh, hello, Harry,’ said Luna Lovegood, turning her large grey eyes towards him. ‘Did you know one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?’

Harry felt heat flush his face. He wished he had fixed that before he’s left the class.

‘Hi, Luna,’ he said, trying not to feel too embarrassed. ‘Hermione, you left your stuff…’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Hermione, her voice sounding choked as she hurriedly took her books and turned to place them in her bag. Harry thought he saw her wipe her eyes on her pencil-case. ‘Thank you, Harry. Well, I’d better get going…’

And with that, she hurried away before Harry could offer any words of comfort, although he had no idea as to what he could have said.

‘She’s a bit upset,’ said Luna, as they watched Hermione round the corner. ‘I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtle in there, but it turned out to be Hermione. She said something about Ron Weasley.’

‘Yeah, they’ve had a row,’ said Harry, trying not to stare at Luna, who was absentmindedly curling her long blonde hair with her finger. Harry’s stomach gave a lurch.

‘He says some very funny things sometimes, doesn’t he?’ Luna said, as they began to wander down the corridor together. Harry couldn’t help but notice that Luna’s grey eyes seemed to reflect the sunlight peeking through the nearby windows. ‘But he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that last year.’

‘I s’pose,’ Harry mumbled. Luna had a unique way with slightly uncomfortable truths, which always made him feel a little awkward. ‘I just wish they’d make things up.’

‘I’m guessing they’re not going to Professor Slughorn’s party together, then.’

‘How do you—?’

‘Oh, I heard Hermione crying about it when I found her in the bathroom.’

‘Oh,’ Harry said, letting out a sad sigh. ‘Yeah. That’s not looking likely at the minute.’ 

‘Hmmm,’ Luna hummed thoughtfully. ‘Speaking of which, are you going to Professor Slughorn’s party?’

Harry whipped his head round to Luna, his eyes widening. Luna was smiling at him, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

‘Er,’ Harry felt like his heart was somehow tripped and ended up at the back of his throat. _Was Luna suggesting what he thought she was suggesting?_

‘I mean,’ said Luna, biting her lip slightly. ‘If you were already planning on going alone, that’s fine. I just thought maybe you’d—’

‘Y-yeah,’ exclaimed Harry, blinking quickly. ‘I’d like that. To go with you, I mean.’

Luna’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, and her large eyes sparkled.

‘Thank you, Harry,’ she grinned. ‘I’d like that very much, too.’

Harry smiled back, his heart beating quickly against his chest.

‘I’ll meet you in the entrance hall at eight o’clock, then.’

Luna nodded, dimples forming in her cheeks as her smile widened.

They reached a fork in the corridor.

‘Well, goodbye, Harry,’ Luna said, as she began to walk away to her next class. ‘I’ll see you this evening.’

‘Yeah,’ Harry prayed that he wasn’t grinning like an idiot. ‘See you.’

As he watched her skipping away down the corridor, a sudden thought came to Harry.

‘Oh, Luna?’ he called after her.

She turned, and looked at him inquiringly.

‘When you say “going together”, do you mean as friends or….what?’

Luna smiled at him again. Harry felt his stomach squirm again.

‘Shall we just see what happens, Harry?’

Before he could reply, she turned around, still smiling, and continued skipping along the corridor, her long blond hair dancing behind her.

 

At eight o’clock, Harry found himself walking towards the entrance hall. The intervening hours seemed to have passed in something of a daze. He could vaguely remember telling Ron that he was going to the party with Luna, and Ron giving him a suspiciously knowing look. However, Harry was unable to question about this further, as Lavender Brown had flung her arms around Ron’s neck shortly afterwards.

He had spent the time after dinner trying desperately to flatten his hair in the dormitory mirror, but this had proved to be fruitless. Eventually, he had given up, hurriedly put on his dress robes, and polished his glasses.

As Harry proceeded down the staircase towards the entrance hall, he noticed that there was a large crowd of people (mainly girls) who seemed very interested in who he was going with.

‘Hello, Harry!’

Luna was standing a short distance away, and was waving at him cheerfully.

She was wearing a set of spangled silver robes that were attracting a lot of stares from the assembled onlookers. She wasn’t wearing her butterbeer-cork necklace, but her familiar radish earrings were in place. Her cheeks dimpled as she smiled at him, and her skin appeared to sparkle in the candlelight.

‘Er- hi,’ Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ‘You…look nice.’

‘Thank you, Harry!’ Luna smiled widely. Harry must have been imagining things, but he thought that a slight blush on her cheeks. ‘You look nice too!’

‘Thanks,’ Harry tugged at the sleeves of his robes, feeling very self-conscious. ‘Shall we get going, then?’

‘Oh, yes,’ Luna replied, happily. ‘Where is the party?’

‘Slughorns office.’

As they walked up the marble staircase, many of the onlookers stared at them suspiciously. This made Harry’s stomach bubble with angry- _what was wrong with Luna going with him?_

‘Did you here there’s supposed to be a vampire coming?’ he said, biting back the insults he wanted to hurl at the eavesdropping people around them.

‘Rufus Scrimgeour?’ asked Luna, as they began to walk along the corridor and away from all the staring.

Harry tried not to stare too much at Luna as she went into great detail about how the minister for magic was secretly a vampire, and how her father (the author of the wizarding magazine known as ‘The Quibbler’) had been barred from publishing the story. Luna’s lips seemed fuller than normal, and Harry felt his stomach give a shudder.

Harry shook his head and diverted his attention to Luna’s eyes. As usual, her enormous grey orb-like pupils seemed to reflect moonlight, despite them being indoors. This detail did nothing to calm his nerves.

‘Are you okay, Harry? You look a little flushed.’

Luna had turned to him, looking concerned.

‘Oh, yes. I’m fine,’ Harry said, his heart beating slightly quicker. ‘Just a bit nervous about the party.’

‘Perfectly understandable, Harry,’ Luna said, smiling. ‘We’ll make sure to investigate the mistletoe.’

Harry’s stomach seemed to deflate.

‘Wha-?’ he spluttered, the heat rising in his face. ‘What do you-?’

‘Nargles,’ Luna replied, simply. ‘Don’t you remember? We said we’d investigate.’

Harry’s mouth went dry. Luna was, of course, referring to their conversation a year previously in the room of requirement.

‘O-oh yeah,’ he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Kind-of hard of forget, that.’

Luna nodded. _Was Harry imagining things, or were her cheeks slightly flushed?_

They were now approaching Slughorn’s office, and the sounds of merry party-goers, as well as music, was growing louder with each step. 

The office seemed to have been magically enlarged, and the ceiling and walls had been draped with scarlet, gold and green hangings, so that the light emanating from a lamp containing actual fairies reflected off the walls in a patchwork effect.

Harry grabbed two glasses of pumpkin juice from a nearby table, and handed one to Luna.

‘Cheers,’ he said, tapping their glasses together.

Luna giggled as she raised her own glass to her lips. Harry couldn’t help but notice how good her lips looked when wet.

He was just about to suggest getting some food, when he noticed a long mane of bushy hair push past what looked like two members of the Weird Sisters.

Grabbing Luna gently by the arm, Harry pushed through the crowd.

‘Hermione!’

‘Oh, hello, Harry,’ said Hermione, as they reached her. ‘Hi Luna.’

‘What on earth happened to you?’ exclaimed Harry, letting go of Luna’s arm somewhat hesitantly. Hermione’s hair was a tangled mess, and her make-up seemed to have been smudged.

‘Oh, I’ve just left Cormac,’ Hermione explained. When Harry gave her a blank look, she elaborated. ‘Under the mistletoe.’

‘Urgh!’ Harry groaned, frowning at his bushy-haired friend. ‘Why’d you even ask him anyway?’

‘Well, I thought he’d annoy Ron the most,’ Hermione continued, waving her wand to make her hair untangle itself. It was now held in a delicate bun. ‘Unfortunately, he seemed a little…too keen on the idea.’

‘You okay?’ Harry enquired, now feeling concerned. ‘He didn’t….’

‘Oh, thank goodness, no!’ Hermione grabbed a glass of butterbeer from a nearby waiter, and began to sip it. ‘I managed to smack him round the face before he got too…friendly.’

‘Good idea,’ Harry nodded, his eyes darting around the surrounding area to check that McLaggen wasn’t in the vicinity. ‘Listen, Hermione, about Ron—’

‘I’d rather not talk about Ron right now, Harry,’ Hermione interrupted, her voice quavering over the redheads’ name. ‘He didn’t want to come with me to this, so I’d rather just forget about it.’

‘It didn’t sound like that when you asked him in Herbology.’

Hermione’s cheeks turned a delicate red. 

‘Well, anyway,’ Harry continued, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I just hope you two can make things up.’

Hermione’s eyes dropped down to her glass, her hair obscuring her face.

‘I don’t think that will happen anytime soon, Harry,’ she said sadly, her voice oddly strained.

Harry had half a mind to agree with Hermione, owing to the fact that she had-in fact- set a flock of _ravenous birds_ on their mutual redhead friend. But Hermione looked so miserable that he didn’t have the heart to.

‘Er, listen,’ Harry said, giving her a brotherly pat on the shoulder. ‘If you want to just hang around with us for the rest of the party, we wouldn’t mind.’ Harry said, indicating himself and Luna.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,’ replied Hermione, giving Harry a slightly knowing look. ‘You two just have a good time- oh, no, here he comes!’

And with that, Hermione disappeared as quickly as if she had disapparated. From a few metres away, he saw McLaggen peer through the groups of people, before walking over to the food table.

‘I would normally suggest that he was influenced by the Nargles,’ said Luna, peering round at Harry. ‘But they don’t make people…act like that.’

Harry gave a little smile. Luna was a very sweet girl.

‘I suppose,’ he said. However, his attention was diverted as the door of the office opened, and Argus Filch entered, pulling an irritated Draco Malfoy behind him.

‘Er, Luna,’ Harry asked, putting his empty glass down on a nearby table. ‘I’m gonna pop off for a second. Be back in a bit.’

‘Okay,’ Luna replied, turning to speak to Professor Trelawney, who was standing nearby and smelling strongly of brandy.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off himself, and re-entered the party; his head swirling with what he had just overheard from Malfoy and Snape.

_Unbreakable vow? What mission did Malfoy have? And why was Snape trying to help him?_

Luna was stood right where he had left her. In his effort to re-join her, however, he momentarily forgot who she was in conversation with.

‘Harry Potter!’ exclaimed Professor Trelawney.

‘Oh, hello,’ Harry said, unenthusiastically. Trelawney had a habit of predicting his death, which he found very annoying.

‘My dear, why have you not elected to continue Divination this year?’ the enormous-spectacled teacher enquired. ‘Surely, to you, the subject is of the upmost importance?’

‘Sybil, we all think our subject is the most important!’ Professor Horace Slughorn appeared, his enormous stomach preceding him into the conversation. ‘Harry, m’boy! So glad you could make it, and…er, your companion, of course!’

‘This is Luna Lovegood, Professor,’ Harry forced down the bile that came to his throat everytime Slughorn happened to forget a student’s name. It had happened with Ron before, and he was getting very sick of it. ‘She’s in Ravenclaw.’

‘How do you do, Professor?’ said Luna politely, evidently not taking Slughorn’s accidental rudeness to heart.

‘Very well, Miss Lovegood.’ Slughorn grinned genially. ‘I must say, I’m glad that you’ve managed to coerce Harry into coming along- if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was avoiding my little parties!’

Harry tried to join in the laughter, and avoided looking Luna in the eye. He had, in fact, been avoiding Slughorn’s parties as a way of cheering Ron up about being ignored by the Nepotistic potions master.

As Slughorn moved to talk to a thin, balding wizard who Harry gathered was a leading light in the department of magical accidents and catastrophes, Luna turned to Harry and whispered into his ear.

‘Harry, I didn’t force you along to this, did I?’

She sounded a little worried.

Harry shook his head.

‘No. Well, I wasn’t originally planning on coming,’ he said, trying not to stare at how a loose strand of her dirty-blonde hair was dangling over her right ear. ‘But I thought it wouldn’t be so bad if you were here too.’

Luna blinked, and her mouth stretched into a small smile.

_Merlin, she’s cute…_

 

From behind them, music began to play. Turning, Harry realised that they had inadvertently walked over to the edge of the dance-floor, where many people were swaying in time to the music.

A sudden thought occurred to Harry.

He offered his hand to Luna.

‘Shall we?’

Luna grinned, and took his hand.

Stepping onto the dance-floor, Harry put his other hand on Luna’s waist, and the two of them began to weave gently through the groups of people.

‘It’s been a while since we danced.’ Luna said, her grey eyes glinting in the fairy-lights.

‘The Yule Ball, wasn’t it?’ Harry smiled. ‘I’ve improved since then.’

Luna giggled. Harry couldn’t help but be reminded of birdsong.

‘So I can see.’

The music slowed, and Luna rested her head on Harry’s shoulder as they swayed. Luna’s skin felt soft and cool against his robes, and her long dirty-blonde hair seemed to catch the light of the fairy-light above. Goosebumps appeared all along Harry’s arms.

 _What I wouldn’t give to have this moment forever_ , Harry thought wistfully.

 

Harry didn’t know how long they danced for, but the band eventually began to wind down, and the party-goers began to disperse. Luna took her head off Harry’s shoulder, sighing softly.

‘Shall I walk you back to your dorms, then?’ Harry asked, as they made their way off the dance-floor and out through the office door. He didn’t know where Ravenclaw Tower was, but he had the Marauders Map on him, so he could always find his way back if need-be.

‘If that’s okay,’ Luna said. Her face was still slightly flushed from dancing, and her neck had a light coating of sweat. Harry couldn’t help but find his eyes being drawn to her.

They set off down the corridor at a leisurely pace. They weren’t in any particular hurry, despite the late hour.

‘Hey, isn’t that Harry Potter?’ Harry could hear other party-goers whispering to each-other. ‘What’s he doing with that weird Lovegood girl?’

Almost subconsciously, Harry closed the distance between Luna and himself, so that their shoulders were almost touching as they walked away from the onlookers.

They walked in silence for a long time. The two of them had started climbing a winding spiral staircase when Luna broke the quiet.

‘I imagine people would have expected you to go with someone cooler than me,’ the Ravenclaw said, once again displaying her knack for uncomfortable truths.  

Harry felt his stomach bubble slightly.

‘You are cool, Luna,’ he said, looking her straight in the eye. ‘I don’t care what other people expect; I think you’re amazing.’

A slight pinkness appeared on Luna’s cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to her shoes.

‘Sorry- was that weird?’ Harry asked worriedly, as they proceeded up the spiral staircase.

‘N-no,’ Luna said, biting her lip. ‘It’s just—thank you, Harry.’

‘No problem.’

They had reached the top of the staircase. There was a door attached to the wall in front of them. It had no knocker or key-hole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

Luna turned to Harry, and smiled at him, dimples appearing again in her cheeks.

‘I’m glad you came along, Luna,’ he said, feeling a little nervous.

‘Me too.’

Luna turned to the door knocker behind them. The eagle opened its beak, and a soft, musical voice called out.

‘Does an object know itself?’

Harry’s mouth fell open in confusion. Did the Ravenclaws not have a password?

‘Hmm- what do you think, Harry?’ Luna asked, turning her head to face him.

‘Er—’

‘Oh, good idea, Harry!’ Luna said, smiling happily. She turned and addressed the door-knocker. ‘I suppose the answer is nothing ever really knows itself.’

‘Good argument,’ the eagle replied. The door opened, and a small beam of candlelight sneaked into the passageway from the common-room within.

‘Thank you, Harry,’ Luna smiled at him.

‘But I didn’t do anything.’

Luna chuckled slightly under his breath, and Harry once again was reminded of birdsong.

‘You did. Remember- “to err is to human”’

The grey-eyed Ravenclaw stroked a lock of her dirty-blonde hair absentmindedly, and Harry felt his heart go into the back of his throat.

‘T-to be honest, Luna,’ he stammered, running a hand through his messy hair. ‘I’m starting to wish I hadn’t asked you now.’

Luna’s face fell, and her eyes widened in a hurt expression.

Harry let out a mental gasp of anguish. _He hadn’t meant it like that…_

‘I-I mean,’ Harry exclaimed, cursing his own awkwardness. ‘Asking you _just as friends._ ’

Luna’s eyes widened even further, but her face seemed to light up, brighter than Harry had ever seen it before. 

She reached out, and took Harry’s hand in hers. Harry felt his stomach give a funny lurch.

Her skin felt warm and soft, and gave off a soft smell of vanilla.

Harry’s eyes met Luna’s, which she steadily held. Harry wasn’t entirely sure why he found himself unable to look away, but Luna’s eyes seemed to reflect the light from the nearby candles, so that the grey sparkled in the moonlight drifting in from the window to their left.

He felt like he could look into those eyes forever, ever-changing in their grey swirls and textures.

‘I had a really nice time, Harry.’ Luna whispered, her voice just reaching Harry’s ears. ‘Thanks for inviting me.’

Harry swallowed nervously.

‘I’d happily do it all over again,’ he breathed. ‘Sorry we couldn’t investigate the mistletoe. I’d- I’d still like to do that sometime. If you want to.’

Luna smiled, and moved closer to Harry. He could almost count her eyelashes, which contrasted wonderfully with her pale skin.

‘I’d like that too, Harry.’ 

Luna gave his hand one last gentle squeeze, and then turned to walk into Ravenclaw Tower. Harry thought he saw her turn back to look at him as the door swung closed; her cheeks were pink, and her eyes sparkled.

Harry began to walk down the spiral staircase, his heart bounding heavily against his chest. His knees felt wobbly, and heat flushed his face.

Looking down at his hand, Harry felt a small smile stretch his lips. He could still smell the soft scent of vanilla etched across his palm.

 _Well, we didn’t get a chance to investigate the mistletoe_ , he thought as he reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, _but I wouldn’t have changed tonight for the world…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	9. 'Never A Goodbye'

‘We’re with you whatever happens,’ said Ron, as they stood in the Hogwarts grounds. The assorted mourners had almost all filed back them on their way up to the castle from Dumbledore’s funeral. ‘But, mate, you’re gonna have to come round my mum and dads house before we do anything else, even Godric’s Hollow.’

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion. ‘Why?’

‘Bill and Fleur’s wedding, remember?’

Harry looked at Ron, startled. It amazed him that something as wonderfully ordinary as a wedding could take place, even when everything else seemed to be collapsing in around them.

‘Yeah,’ he eventually exclaimed. ‘We shouldn’t miss that.’

‘Exactly,’ Hermione said, nudging Ron softly with her shoulder as she continued to lean on him for support. Harry fought back an urge to smile as he watched Ron and Hermione lock eyes. Maybe, after all this time, things had finally changed between them. But he wouldn’t press them about it; they would tell him when they were ready.

However, Harry was brought back to reality by Ron’s voice, as the tall redhead appeared to notice something behind Harry.

‘Incoming.’

Harry turned and his heart seemed to fail.

Luna Lovegood was walking towards them, followed closely by Neville and Ginny.

‘Hi’ he muttered lamely, as they approached. Ginny was still sniffling slightly. She wiped her nose noisily on her sleeve, and Neville gave her a brotherly pat on the shoulder, his own eyes slightly red.  Harry gave them both a nod, and Ginny smiled at him weakly, her usual toughness reasserting itself.

As they passed him, Ron and Hermione gave each-other a knowing look.

‘We’ll see you inside, Harry.’

Ron put his arm back around the bushy-haired witch’s shoulder, and Harry watched as his two best friends began to walk slowly up towards the castle doors, followed by Ginny and Neville.

Luna stayed by Harry’s side. She was wearing sober dress robes, which was very unusual for her. However, her long blonde hair was still as eye-catching as ever, and Harry could smell her signature vanilla on the wind as it swept across the grounds around them.

Harry’s eyes met Luna’s, and his heart gave a dull ache. She hadn’t cried during the funeral, but her enormous grey orbs betrayed a quiet burning sadness that she could barely control.

‘People are saying that Hogwarts won’t be open next year.’

Her voice was firm but delicate, with an edge of steely resolve, as if she was trying not to cry.

Harry nodded. ‘Are you coming back if it does?’

Luna turned to look at him.

‘Will you?’

A large gust of wind whipped through the grounds, piercing their dress robes and making Luna’s long hair billow beautifully around her face.

Harry looked at her sadly, and shook his head.

‘I half suspected as much,’ Luna said, looking down at her feet. ‘I’m going to miss you.’

A great burning sensation was moving up from Harry’s stomach into the back of his throat. An urgent need to tell Luna… _everything_. What she meant to him. How much he had come to rely on her, how much he liked being around her, and…

‘ _Luna…I…I—_ ’

Luna raised a hand to stop him, and, for the first time since he had known her, Harry heard her voice shake with barely controlled sobs.

Luna blinked her enormous grey eyes hurriedly, as if the sunlight was burning her. Her lips trembled.

‘P-please don’t, Harry,’ she whispered, not looking him in the eye. ‘Don’t say it. _Please._ ’

That final word seemed to pierce Harry’s heart, and his resolve broke.

Without stopping to think, Harry moved forward and put his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She started at his touch, but settled into his chest, and Harry could feel sobs begin to rack her body.

He didn’t know how long he held her for, but -as he held her tight to her- he was reminded of when she had comforted him after Cedric’s death. In the distance, he could make out the same circle of trees on the opposite side of the lake. It had been over two years since then, but it felt like a different universe. So much had happened since then; so many deaths, so much heartbreak, and so much despair.

The only things that had remained a constant in his life were the people around him; those who still stood by him- Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, the Weasley family, McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and so many others.

Luna.

Harry’s relationship with the girl who now stood sobbing quietly into his chest had changed so much since that chance meeting in his fourth year. They had gone from two people thrust together by circumstance, to close friends, to… _more_.

And yet, by some cruel twist of fate, he was now looking at a future full of darkness, hate and uncertainty. A future that would surely end with death; either for him, or for the man who had marked him as his equal at the age of one. There was no other way.

It was as if his path had broken away from that of the amazing woman that he held in his arms, and, with every passing second, with every beat of his heart, he knew that this moment was slipping through his fingers. That it would have to end, and there could be no coming back. 

Luna gave one last shuddering sob, and pulled herself away from Harry.

‘Do...do you remember what I told you under the trees?’ she asked, her still-watering grey eyes fixed on his face. ‘After the Triwizard Tournament?’

Harry nodded.

‘I believe because… because I believe in you, Harry,’ she breathed, her dirty blond hair blowing softly in the breeze. ‘And… _I always will_.’

Luna reached forward, and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Her lips felt soft and wonderfully cool on Harry’s skin, and he felt the dull ache in his heart again.

She moved her head slowly away, but lifted her hand to softly stroke Harry’s cheek with her thumb.

‘This isn’t a goodbye, Harry,’ Luna’s mouth lifted slightly at the edges, revealing a sad smile. ‘It’s just…’

 Harry lifted his hand to hers, and squeezed gently.

‘…Another way of saying hello,’ he finished. He didn’t know how he knew that. The words seemed to have appeared in his head as he looked at her.

Luna smiled at him, the same smile that she had always shown him; a mix of kindness, honesty, bravery and goodness. But this time it was mixed with something else. Something that seemed to radiate out of every fibre of Luna Lovegood.

Something that Dumbledore had once told Harry was the most powerful, the most terrifying, and the most wonderful thing in existence. The same thing that had saved Harry on that fateful Halloween night in Godric’s Hollow all those years ago.

Harry gave Luna’s hand once last squeeze, before letting her hand drop reluctantly and sadly out of his.

Luna smiled sadly at him one last time, and turned to walk back up to the castle, her long dirty-blonde hair swaying softly in the breeze.

Harry’s heart continued to beat achingly against his chest, as he watched her walk away from him. In the far distance, he could see Ron and Hermione waiting just inside the large front doors of Hogwarts Castle.

He knew that he- _they_ \- would have a difficult journey ahead. Voldemort still lived, and there were still several horcuxes scattered somewhere in the world that needed to be destroyed, before Harry had any hope of defeating the sorcerer who had destroyed countless lives,

His last protector was gone, and he could not allow anyone else to die for his sake. Harry felt the wind ruffle his hair, and he felt vulnerable and isolated in an enormous, dark world.

But Luna’s parting words came back to him, floating in the breeze with that vanilla scent that he had long come to associate with the incredible Ravenclaw girl who had turned his world upside down without him realising it; the girl who now stood as a beacon of hope in a world that seemed to offer little but death and despair to him:

_Nothing was ever a goodbye; it was only another way of saying hello…_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	10. 'A World Away'

The strong breeze from the sea ruffled Harry’s hair. He was walking slowly along the sand-dunes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shell Cottage, its strong walls standing like a monolith against the empty expanse of water in front of it.

Harry remembered hazily that, sometime during his childhood, the Dursleys had once gone to Cornwall on holiday (Uncle Vernon had been offered the usage of a colleagues’ second home). As usual, Harry had been left with Mrs Figg, but he remembered that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had spent the next few months afterwards complaining about their time spent in that isolated part of the West-Country. The locals were “un-naturally cheerful”, the food was “common muck” and the Cornish flag had been “everywhere with no St. George’s flag in sight”. And that wasn’t even touching on the time when Dudley had been attacked by several seagulls on a beach (in actuality, the birds has simply stolen Dudley’s ice cream and defecated on his arm). Harry couldn’t help but grin at the memory.

Cornwall really did seem like a world away from the rest of the country, almost magically isolated from the world of commuter traffic and suburban sprawl of company cars, neat hedgerows and immaculate gardens that the Dursleys inhabited.

Even in the middle of a war, the place was somehow apart from everywhere else.

‘Hello Harry,’

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts to find that Luna Lovegood was sat in a sand-dune just ahead of him. Her long blonde hair was dancing in the strong wind. She was wearing a borrowed pair of Fluer’s dungarees and an old jumper of Bills.

‘Er, hi,’ he said, as he approached.

‘Going for a walk?’

Luna’s tone was light, but Harry noticed an underlying need. For what, he wasn’t sure. But it sounded like she was looking for companionship.

‘Y-yeah,’ he stammered, feeling his face warm up. ‘Would you…like to join me?’

Luna nodded, blinking her enormous grey eyes as she climbed to her feet.

They set off at a slow pace, neither of them wanting to walk quickly, especially over the soft sand that, even in April, had still not warmed to a pleasant temperature. It felt like trudging over loose dirt.

The long windswept grass that littered the dunes tickled their faces as they proceeded. The beach was almost entirely deserted, save for the tiny figures of Ron and Hermione walking slowly in the far distance; the tall redhead supporting the still-recovering witch.

‘I hope she gets better,’ said Luna, noticing where Harry was looking.

‘Me too,’ Harry muttered, trying not to remember his bushy-haired friends screams as she had been tortured to near-death by Bellatrix Lestrange in Malfoy Manor. He could still see the abject terror on Ron’s face as they had heard her being put under the Cruciatus curse in the room above. They had almost lost her; Harry had almost lost the girl who had become his adoptive sister, and Ron had almost lost the girl who had…well, it didn’t really need to be said, did it…

Harry turned to Luna. She had stopped, staring into the wild expanses of the sea in front of them.

‘It was… _horrible_ ,’ she whispered. Her usually bright grey eyes seemed to falter somewhat as the memories of her captivity in that cellar swirled through her brain. ‘In that place.’

Harry didn’t know what to say. His stomach churned unpleasantly as he remembered hearing Luna’s worried voice for the first time after he and Ron had been thrown into the Malfoy’s cellar. His heart had leapt when he discovered she was alive, but he had also been terrified for her. She had been kept prisoner in that cellar for goodness knows how long, and he didn’t want to think about what she had suffered through. It broke his heart to see her as emotionally shaken as this.

‘Luna, I’m…I’m sorry,’ he mumbled.

‘It wasn’t your fault, Harry.’

Luna turned to look at him straight in the eyes. Her grey orbs seemed to penetrate his mind with the mantra ‘ _don’t blame yourself_ ’. She knew him too well.

Harry stared out at the sea, and closed his eyes, the cool ocean breeze whistling through his messy hair and the strong salty smell emanating through his consciousness.

So much had changed in the half-a-year that had transpired since the last time he and Luna had met.

Which had been at Bill and Fleur’s wedding.

They had danced- for one _glorious_ hour- the two of them had danced as if the rest of the world, and the war, and Voldemort, didn’t exist. Luna had looked radiant in her bright sunshine robes, and Harry had been unable to take his eyes off her the entire time.

He had held her close, and felt her warm, soft hand on his shoulder as they danced. Her intoxicating vanilla scent had seemed to fog his senses, making him almost delirious with happiness.

Harry wished that night had lasted forever. But it hadn’t.

The Death-Eaters had overthrown the ministry that night, and Harry had been forced to make a hurried escape from the reception, before he could even check to make sure Luna was safe. He remembered letting out a sigh of relief when Lupin had told them that the wedding guests had gotten safely away. 

However, his heart had felt like it had been shattered months later, when he had discovered that Luna had been captured by the Death Eaters. It had been enough to pull him out of his Horcrux obsession, and he spent many a sleepless night terrified as to what Luna was going through, and whether she might already be…he had not allowed _that_ particular thought to enter his mind.

Luckily, they had found a way to find her. The Dilluminator had helped Ron return to them and save Harry’s life, using Hermione’s voice as a way of tapping into their location. None of them had ever explicitly stated the fact, but the Dilluminator relied on Dumbledore’s greatest belief; the one thing that he prized above all else. The thing that radiated out of every pore of Luna Lovegood.  

Love. That was what had allowed Ron to return to them. And it was what Harry planned to use to zero in on Luna’s location. However, in his excitement over this, he had accidentally uttered Voldemort’s name aloud, and they had been captured by snatchers. And that’s when they had been taken to Malfoy Manor, an event that had almost cost Hermione her life.

As the memories filtered through Harry’s mind, he felt a growing need to explain himself to Luna. He understood what was at stake, but he also knew that she needed to know how he felt, because _when else would he get the chance?_

He opened his eyes again, and turned to the blonde girl again, his heart beating heavily against his chest.

‘Luna…I…’

Luna’s eyes met Harry’s. Her grey orbs betrayed a deep personal sadness.

‘I- I wish…’ Harry stammered. ‘I wish…that things had gone differently…and I’m sorry that we never got a chance to…and we still can’t…but-that doesn’t mean I didn’t-or don’t- want to…’

He trailed off, feeling utterly confused by the rush of his own emotions.  

Luna’s fixed him with a look, and Harry felt her thoughts enter his mind almost telepathically, as if she had spoken them aloud. Because they didn’t really need to be said. They had to be felt.

_I understand why you can’t, and I don’t blame you for it_

 It was at that moment that Harry felt the very last of his resolve crumble. Springing forward, he brought his hand up to cup her face, and kissed Luna Lovegood on the lips.

He felt Luna startle slightly, and saw her eyes widen with shock. But then she leaned into him, putting her arms around the back of his head, and tangling her fingers through his hair. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she pressed her lips desperately, hungrily, earnestly, to his.

Luna let out a small moan, and Harry’s stomach flipped over. He moved his other hand so that it was around Luna’s back, and pulled her closer to him, closing his own eyes. Harry breathed in her signature vanilla smell, stirring a multitude of memories. From their first meeting, from sat under a circle of trees, from the room of requirement, from the Hogwarts library, from Slughorn’s party, and from Dumbledore’s funeral. All the time he had spent with Luna, every single moment, every single second.  

Harry’s heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and he could feel the blood roaring in his ears. With every last fibre of his being, he tried to put into the kiss every feeling- all his thoughts, and hopes, and dreams of the future. Everything he had ever wanted to say to the amazing, beautiful, wonderful girl that he had fallen completely, impossibly, _irreversibly in love with_ , came flooding out of his being, drowning every-other thought in a dizzy haze of wild abandon and passion.

And as he did this, he felt every thought of Luna’s flooding back into him- all of her thoughts, her fears, her dreams, and-most of all- her hopes for herself, him and _them_. Harry felt tears spring to his eyes, as it all washed over him, and he held Luna closer, and Luna held him even closer. The two of them were on their own plane of existence, a world away from the heart-ache, despair and worry of the war.

After what felt like a blissful eternity, their lips reluctantly parted.

Luna reached up, and wiped away the tear that was sliding down Harry’s cheek.

‘I suppose this makes everything more difficult now.’

Harry nodded sadly. It would be much harder to fight the war from then on, knowing that he now had so much to lose. Now that he finally knew what it felt like to _be_ with Luna Lovegood, in a way that he never had before.

‘Luna,’ he said, still holding her cheek. ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. What with…the war and everything.’

Luna’s eyes remained transfixed to his.

‘But I do know one thing,’ Harry continued, his voice cracking. ‘And that is I… _I_ …’

Luna moved her hand, and put a finger to his lips. A small smile crossed her lips.

‘Harry, we’ve been through this before,’ she said, her eyes sparkling quietly. ‘I already know. And you already know what I...feel for you.’

Harry felt his heart glow as he stared down at the dirty-blonde girl. He didn’t think he would ever be able to properly express how unbelievably happy he felt in that moment, with the memory of Luna’s lips still fresh on his own, and his heart beating intensely against his chest.

Luna raised her hand again to stroke Harry’s cheek (goosebumps erupted all along his neck), before pulling away.

Harry watched her as she began to walk back towards Shell Cottage over the dunes, her long hair dancing in the breeze. She turned to look back at him, and her mouth stretched into a hopeful smile, which Harry returned.

Luna Lovegood turned away from him, still smiling, and disappeared from his sight over the sand-dunes, leaving only a trail of foot-prints in the sand and a faint scent of vanilla on the Celtic wind.

Harry let out a small sigh, and he raised his hand to touch the spot on his lips where Luna had kissed him. His stomach bubbled, but not with worry or fear. 

Everything was more difficult now, it was true, but it was also easier. Because now he had something even greater to fight for.

He had a future for protect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, they finally kissed! You have no idea how good it felt to finally write that, after several chapters of them never-quite-managing-it.
> 
> Next time: The battle of Hogwarts. This is what it’s all been leading up to, but will Harry and Luna be able to keep each-other safe?
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	11. 'The End'

 

Harry descended the stairs from the headmasters’ office, and began to walk back to Gryffindor Tower, followed closely by Ron and Hermione.

The corridors were still full with reminders of the battle; huge chunks of rubble littered the floor surface, shattered windows let in the sunlight of the morning dawn, and there were numerous bloodstains added to the feeling of general distress.

The war was finally over. Tom Riddle had been killed by his own rebounding curse, and the terror that the wizarding world had lived in for several decades was at an end. The remaining death-eaters were being rounded up and captured, the imperiused around the country were reclaiming their senses, and all of Hogwarts was filled with a sense of relief.

But at such a cost. Too many deaths to name, too many families destroyed, and so much innocence lost.

‘Harry?’

Ron’s voice.

Harry turned. His two best friends were standing behind him, their hands intertwined, and their faces still streaked with the many tears they had shed since they had arrived at Hogwarts the previous day.

‘The Great Hall’s this way.’

Harry bit back a laugh. He had been so wrapped in his thoughts that he walked straight past their usual turning. Maybe, on some subconscious level, he didn’t want to go there, not with all the bodies, and the memories of all that had transpired.

‘Yeah,’ he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Actually, I think I might go for a walk in the grounds.’

Ron and Hermione nodded understandingly.

‘Well,’ said Hermione, wiping away some of the dust from her golden-brown skin. ‘If you need us…’

‘You know where we are,’ Ron finished.

Harry nodded, and watched as his two friends began to walk down another corridor towards the Great Hall. Hermione leaned into Ron’s tall frame as they walked, and Ron moved to kiss her softly on the forehead.

Harry’s heart glowed slightly, despite the immense loss that he still felt. As Professor McGonagall had once said, Dumbledore would have happier than anyone to know that there was a little more love in the world.

Harry didn’t really know what to think of Dumbledore anymore. True, his plan had triumphed in the end, but Harry still found it difficult to stomach all that he had learned about the man in the past year. He didn’t think he would ever really come to a conclusion about his former headmaster.

But on this, he had to agree. A little more love in the world really did seem a wonderful thing, especially as it concerned two of the people he cared for most in all the world.

And with that thought still in his head, Harry turned, smiling slightly, and felt his legs carry him along the corridor.

Before Harry knew it, he was walking through a side passage, and out into the grounds.

Walking a little way away from the castle, Harry sat down on the grass, and watched as the great lake seemed to sparkle in the early morning sun.

He blinked his eyes tiredly, and absentmindedly wondered whether he should have gone to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione.

However, a noise of approaching feet made Harry turn, and all thoughts of leaving that spot disappeared from his mind.

Luna Lovegood was walking towards him, her face cut and bruised from the battle, and her blonde hair steaming slightly in the breeze. Harry felt his heart begin to pound against his chest.

‘Hello, Harry,’

Luna’s voice was relaxed, but exhausted.

‘Hi.’

She sat down beside him, and Harry caught the familiar vanilla scent.

‘How are—?’ Harry began.

‘As well as can be expected.’ Luna finished. But Harry saw her lower lip quiver.

‘You were amazing,’ he said, not quite able to look her in the eye; it was like staring at an immensely bright light. ‘Fighting Bellatrix like that.’

‘It had to be done.’-Luna shrugged, absentmindedly fiddled with a strand of her long blonde hair- ‘She’d hurt too many people.’

Harry nodded, trying not to remember the moment when Luna had almost joined those people. Bellatrix had fired a killing curse at her, and Luna had dodged out of the way, escaping death by inches. Harry’s heart grew cold at the thought of how close Luna had come to… _to…_

Harry put his arm around Luna’s shoulders, and pulled her closer.

Harry remembered the last time he had been so physically close with her; hidden under the invisibility cloak before the battle. His stomach had turned over when Luna had volunteered to show him the Ravenclaw Common-Room. However, during the stand-off between professors McGonagall and Snape, he and Luna had almost been hit repeatedly with the flying curses. Almost unconsciously, he had put himself in between Luna and the ricocheting spells. He knew that it was silly, since (due to their physical proximity) any curse that hit him would have also hit Luna, but he couldn’t help it. All he knew that he would happily put himself in harm’s way for her. And (he knew fully well) she would do the same for him.  

There was a small sniff, and Harry turned his head to look at Luna.

‘I…I thought you were….’ she whispered, her voice cracking.

‘I know.’ Harry mumbled, his heart heavy with guilt. He had almost died at the hands of Voldemort barely a few hours before. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Please don’t ever do that to me again,’

‘ _Never_ , Luna.’

Harry softly cupped Luna’s face with his hand, and wiped away a tear that had been rolling down her cheek.

‘Luna…’ he said, as he continued to stroke her cheek. ‘When I was…in the forest. Just before…before the curse hit me. I was thinking of one thing… _one person_.’

Luna’s eyes sparkled with tears again, as they met Harry’s. _She knew_. She knew what she meant to him.

Luna leaned into Harry, and put her head on his shoulder.

Harry reached over and tenderly interlaced his fingers with Luna’s. Her skin was soft and pleasantly warm, despite the many cuts still etched into every finger.

‘I’ll never leave you again, Luna.’ Harry whispered. ‘Never.’

‘And I’ll never leave you,’ she breathed, squeezing his hand.

They sat in silence. Harry didn’t know how long for, but it felt like every single second in Luna’s presence was healing him, both inwardly and externally.

The sun rose higher in the sky over Hogwarts castle, and the water of the great lake seemed to glitter in the light. Like the world was finally changing after the war.

Harry thought about what had happened, and what could happen. Especially when it came to him and the wonderful, beautiful, amazing woman whose head was lying softly on his shoulder.

And in that moment, the words came to him.

‘Luna?’

‘Yes?’

‘I love you.’

Luna’s head shot off Harry’s arm, and he turned to face her. Her eyes were sparkling brighter than ever before, and her mouth had stretched into an enormous smile.

‘I love you too, Harry.’

As one, they both leaned in, and their lips met.

It wasn’t like their previous kiss; desperately intense on the sand-dunes near Shell Cottage; but instead warm and comforting. Luna leaned further into Harry, and her lips opened slightly, letting out a contended sigh.

One of Harry’s hands found itself softly tangled in Luna’s beautiful hair, and the other began to stroke her back tenderly. Luna’s hands reached behind Harry’s head, pulling him in closer, and Harry was more than happy to oblige.

Harry’s heart was pounding in triumph against his chest, and the blood was roaring in his ears. He could feel Luna’s own heartbeat through her robes, and her hairs became entangled in his messy hair, making goose-pimples erupt along his neck.

Their kisses slowly became softer and less hungry, and they began to savour every moment, holding each-other tenderly. A knot of tension in Harry’s stomach that he hadn’t noticed before began to slowly dissolve.

After a while, their lips parted, and Luna rested her head on Harry’s shoulder again. The sun was now high in the sky, casting renewing light over the castle and grounds.

The future stretched out before them, full of infinite possibilities and dreams. But, for the time being, Harry was content to sit beside Luna. Because, when all was said and done, that was where he would _always_ want to be.

‘Harry?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Will you stay with me for a while?’

Harry smiled down at the blond-haired girl, her hair fluttering lightly in the wind.

‘I’ll stay with you forever if you want me to, Luna.’

Luna smiled up at him, her enormous grey eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

‘ _I’d like that very much, Harry._ ’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that, everyone! We'll be returning to Luna and Harry one last time, in an epilogue of sorts, so stay tuned!
> 
> Next time: The Epilogue
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


	12. Epilogue

 

Luna stretched out on the sand, the sunlight reflecting off her pale skin. There was barely a cloud in the sky, and the beach was surprisingly quiet for the time of year, so that the soundtrack was a quiet hubbub of chatter and laughter, instead of the all-consuming noise that they had expected.

‘Nice spot here, don’t you think?’

Harry’s beautiful green eyes were glinting from behind sunglasses, and he flashed Luna his usual quiet smile.

Luna couldn’t help but feel her heart tug.

‘Yes,’ she replied, smiling. ‘It is.’

Harry had suggested that they take all their minds off the impending school year by going to the beach. It had been largely by coincidence that they decided on the beach in Cornwall nearby Shell Cottage, but Luna was glad of it.

‘Dad, can I have my sand-bucket?’

The eleven-year-old Luke Potter, their young son, had just returned from a swim in the sea. His twin sister, Hannah, was standing nearby, her messy dark hair (inherited from her father) glistening with sea-water.

Harry pulled the preferred bucket out of the bag they had brought along, and handed it over, ruffling his son’s dirty-blonde hair with his other hand.

‘Geroff!’ the impetuous boy grumbled, darting away from his father’s reach. ‘ _Muuuum- he messed up my hair again_!’

Luna couldn’t help but grin.

‘You look lovely, dear,’ she said, tucking one of her son’s locks (so much like her own hair) behind his ear.

Giggling, Hannah bounded forward and ruffled her brothers’ hair even more.

‘Oy- lay off!’

Harry and Luna chuckled, watching Luke as he chased after his still-laughing sister. A little way down the beach, the two children barged past a startled lifeguard, who promptly fell backwards into a sand-castle moat.

‘It’s been a while since we were here last.’ Harry said, still grinning as he sat down next to Luna. His tone was light, but Luna knew him too well- he had been thinking about it a lot.

‘Yes,’ she whispered, leaning in close. ‘You kissed me last time.’

Harry’s smile broadened, and he gave out a little chuckle.

‘That is true-’ Harry put his arm around Luna’s shoulders. ‘-but I also seem to recall you kissing me back.’

Luna felt her cheeks burn, and Harry gave her a squeeze.

‘That’s true as well,’ she whispered. After over a decade of being with Harry, she still found herself falling more in love with him every day.

‘RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!’

A loud shout from nearby broke the easy silence. Turning, Luna saw what had occurred. Ron had thrown a bucket of sea-water over Hermione’s head, turning her bushy hair into a mass of frizz.

‘Aw, c’mon, ‘Mione,’ Ron laughed, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and began to swing her in circles through the air. ‘You know as well as I do that it’s “Weasley-Granger” now…’

Harry let out a fond laugh as he watched his two friends. Hermione turned a delicate shade of pink as her red-headed husband continued to hold her, in full view of the other beach-goers, and pepper her cheeks with kisses.

‘Oh, honestly, Ron,’ Hermione mumbled, tracing Ron’s bicep with her finger. ‘Are you ever going to grow up?’

‘You’ll have to make me, Ms Granger-Weasley.’

Her golden-brown skin still flushed with embarrassment, Hermione wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head closer, their noses squishing together as their lips met. Ron let out a muffled laugh of satisfaction.  

‘You two are _so_ embarrassing.’

Rose was peering over her copy of ‘Advanced Mathematics’, and rolling her eyes in exasperation at her parents. The girl had inherited her mother’s brains and her father’s personality, as well as the usual plethora of Weasley freckles. Along with Luke and Hannah, she would be starting Hogwarts later that year.

Ron placed his wife gently on the ground, and kneeled down next to Rose.

‘Lighten up, Rosie-’ Ron lifted up his daughter’s book and placed it gently on the blanket. ‘-I’ll give you a piggyback ride!’

Rose tried to force down her grin as she climbed onto her fathers’ back.

‘I thought you said you weren’t a daddy’s girl, Rosie,’ Hugo smirked, as he climbed to his feet.

Rose stuck out her tongue at her little brother, and Ron chuckled.

Hugo, still giggling, grabbed his mothers’ outstretched hand and began to follow his father along the beach.

The procession were joined by Luke and Hannah, who were now both covered in sand and grinning from ear-to-ear. The two of them (and Hugo) struck up a rendition of the old classic ‘Weasley is our king’, and Luna and Harry could hear Ron and Hermione laughing joyously on the wind.

Luna turned to Harry.

‘We’ve come a long way, haven’t we.’

Harry nodded, his mouth stretching into a glowing smile, and his eyes never leaving her face.

‘Yes, we have,’ he replied, cupping Luna’s face in his hand and bringing his head closer. ‘And I love you more than ever, Luna.’

‘The feeling is mutual, Harry,’ she replied, her mouth forming into a wide smile. She put one hand behind Harry’s neck and pulled him closer. ‘I love you very much today, and I will love you even more tomorrow. And I always will.’

‘Right back at you.’

Their lips met tenderly. As Harry’s lips caressed hers, Luna felt her heart pound against her chest, as it still did whenever she kissed him. Through his chest, Luna could feel Harry’s heart beating fast, synchronised with her own.  

They really had come a long way since the day they had met, during that chance meeting at dance practice for the Yule Ball all those years ago. Harry and her had gone from acquaintances, to friends, and finally on to something more. The two of them had some difficulties finding each-other along the way, but here they were- happy, contended, and enjoying their lives together with their two beautiful children.

Theirs really had been, in every sense of the words, a certain romance.

**-The End-**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with this series so long! I never thought I’d ever write a series about this pairing, since I originally started out writing drabbles. But here we are several months later! A special thank you to those commentors (you know who you are) who suggested I make this into a long series in the first place; your comments really spurred me on to write all of this, and I can’t thank you enough!
> 
> I’m planning on writing more Lunarry/Huna fanfics in the future (mainly set between ‘The End’ and this epilogue). So- if you like my writing- please give me a follow or favourite so you can keep up with any updates.
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos and/or comments!


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